3 Bangladeshi mariners rescued from Black Sea tanker attack set to return home
The fourth Bangladeshi crew member, fourth engineer Mahfuzul Islam Plabon, has remained on board the damaged vessel
Three Bangladeshi mariners who survived a recent drone strike on an oil tanker in the Black Sea are scheduled to return to Dhaka on Saturday (6 December).
The sailors — Ajgar Hossain, Al Amin Hossain and Habibur Rahman — departed Istanbul on Friday night on a Turkish Airlines flight to Dubai. They are expected to take a connecting flight from Dubai and land in Dhaka around 11pm on Saturday, Ajgar confirmed to The Business Standard.
The three received clearance to travel after completing medical examinations and immigration procedures in Turkey, according to him.
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Meanwhile, the fourth Bangladeshi crew member, fourth engineer Mahfuzul Islam Plabon, has remained on board the damaged vessel. Ajgar said Plabon rejoined the tanker to assist in towing it to a Turkish port and will return home once the ship reaches safety.
The incident occurred on 28 November, when MT Kairos, an oil tanker owned by a Chinese company, was reportedly hit by a marine drone allegedly launched by Ukrainian forces off the Turkish coast. The strike triggered a fire that rapidly spread across the vessel.
Responding to an emergency distress call, the Turkish Coast Guard rescued all 25 crew members, including the four Bangladeshis. The sailors were later accommodated in a hotel for health checks, observation and consular processing.
