MV Abdullah will unload stones at Chattogram port outer anchorage after arrival

The position of the ship was in the Gulf of Oman on Thursday afternoon

The Bangladeshi-flagged ship that was in captivity by the Somali pirates for more than a month before being freed has been on its way to Bangladesh from the Mina Saqr port in the United Arab Emirates.

The ship will unload 56,000 tonnes of stones at the outer anchorage of Chattogram port after its expected return by May 12, Mizanul Islam, a spokesperson for Kabir Group, the parent company of the vessel’s owner SR Shipping, said on Thursday.

“The mother vessel will anchor at Chattogram port's outer anchorage and the place may be somewhere close to Kutubdia. From there, it will unload its stones through lighter ships,” he said.

The position of the ship was in the Gulf of Oman in the afternoon, according to the Marine Traffic website that tracks ships. The website data, however, showed the ship is expected to arrive in Bangladesh by May 14.

MV Abdullah resumed its journey to Bangladesh on Wednesday morning after refuelling at Fujairah port in the UAE.

The vessel completed loading 56,000 tonnes of stones at Mina Saqr port earlier.

Usually, crews stay on a ship until the end of a contract but this time the authorities may relax the rules to let them meet their families, considering the complex situation, two port officials said. The officials requested anonymity as they were not authorised to discuss the issue with the media.

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 and then released the ship with the crew a month after the capture.