'We are all fine': MV Abdullah sailors reunite with families
The Chittagong Port Authority has a reception at the New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT) to welcome back the sailors with their family members present.
The 23 crew members of Bangladeshi flag carrier MV Abdullah, which was recently freed from the captivity of Somali pirates, arrived at Chittagong Port on Tuesday (14 May).
The Chittagong Port Authority held a reception at the New Mooring Container Terminal to welcome back the sailors. Their family members were also present at the terminal.
The ship's Captain Mohammad Abdur Rashid, told The Business Standard, "We had not anticipated such a swift return home, but we stayed strong mentally. We believed KSRM Group would bring us back, and they did. The pirates did not torture us. We are all fine."
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Nuruddin, a sailor on the MV Abdullah, was overwhelmed with emotion as he hugged his son for the first time in two months.
"There is no way to express this feeling of returning home to my loved ones. I am immensely grateful to those who helped us in the process of our release from captivity," he said.
Shahriar Jahan Rahat, deputy managing director of KSRM Group, said, "We are extremely happy that the two-month wait is over. We are grateful to the government and all those who cooperated in the process of peacefully bringing back the crew."
After the MV Abdullah anchored at the Kutubdia Anchorage Monday evening, the crew members were transported by the KSRM group's lighter vessel. A new team of 23 sailors took charge of the ship.
Port authorities, the city mayor, and representatives from KSRM, the ship's owner company, were present to greet the returning crew yesterday. Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud joined virtually to welcome the sailors.
The ship with the new team on board, carrying 56,000 tonnes of limestone, will first offload some limestone to lighter ships at Kutubdia. The new 23 sailors will then bring the ship near Patenga, where the remaining cargo will be unloaded.
On 12 March, the MV Abdullah, carrying 55,000 tonnes of coal from Mozambique to Dubai, was captured by Somali pirates, along with 23 sailors. After paying a ransom to the pirates, the ship was freed on 14 April.
