MV Abdullah is set to leave UAE for Bangladesh

The ship has completed unloading goods and loading 56,000 tonnes of stones at Mina Saqr port in the UAE

The Bangladeshi-flagged ship MV Abdullah that was hijacked by the Somali pirates and was in captivity for more than a month, is going to set sail for Bangladesh finally.

The ship has completed unloading goods and loading 56,000 tonnes of stones at Mina Saqr port in the United Arab Emirates, said Mizanul Islam, a spokesperson for Kabir Group, the parent company of the vessel’s owner SR Shipping.

It was scheduled to leave for Bangladesh at midnight on Monday Bangladesh time, he added.

On Mar 12, Somali pirates seized control of the MV Abdullah and took the 23 sailors on board hostage. The vessel was transporting 55,000 tonnes of coal from Mozambique to the United Arab Emirates at the time.

After capturing the vessel, the pirates moved it to the Somali coast and regularly changed its position. Nine days after the vessel was hijacked, the pirates contacted the owners through a third party.

They were released after one month in captivity. They reached the UAE on Saturday and are expected to arrive in Bangladesh by mid-May.