‘Rescue them immediately’: Stranded sailor’s family requests govt

The family of a Bangladeshi sailor who got stranded at Ukrainian port of Olvia has asked the authorities to arrange the evacuation of the trapped seafarers immediately.

"I am very worried about my son," said Parveen Akter, mother of Syed Asiful Islam – a second engineer of the stranded Bangladeshi bulk carrier "Banglar Samriddhi". The mother requested the government to rescue her son and other 27 sailors on Thursday, a day after one of Asif's colleagues onboard was killed in a shelling.         

Though the Bangladesh Shipping Corporation – the owner of the vessel – and the Ministry of Shipping Thursday said the rest of the stranded seamen were well and preferred staying at the vessel, the family was critical of the assurance.

"The Shipping Corporation had called the seamen and asked not to leave the Tk300 crore vessel. The authorities selfishly considered the price of the ship, but the lives of the 28 stranded people do not matter to them," cried Asif's sister Sayeda Nusrat Jahan.

Banglar Samriddhi sailor Asiful Islam’s mother Parveen Akter expresses her worries about her son. Photo: Courtesy

Asif last came home in December last year. The family said he was promoted to the chief engineer of the vessel recently, and the 33-year-old sailor left his Brahmanbaria home for Dhaka on 18 February to take the charge.  

On 19 February, he landed in Turkey and boarded the ship on 20 February. With the vessel, he was supposed to go to Italy. But the ship got stuck at port of Olvia en route as the war broke out.  

Asif's father Syed Nurul Islam – a retired railway official – on Thursday arranged an especial prayer at the local mosque, while the mother spent the day praying at home for the safe return of his son. Asif's wife and baby daughter were also in the grueling wait.   

Banglar Samriddhi sailor Asiful Islam, in a video message, called on the government to take the initiative to rescue them

Nurul Islam said they had talked to Asif Thursday, and he said he was fine.

"The ship has a month's food and water in stock. But the war does not seem to be over anytime soon," the father said, commenting, "If not evacuated, all of them will starve to death onboard."

Asif spent his childhood in Dhaka due to his father's job posting, and also studied in the capital. After passing the secondary school certificate (SSC) exam from Motijheel Government Boys' High School and the higher secondary certificate (HSC) from Dhaka City College, Asif got admitted to Marine Academy in Chattogram.

After completing his studies there, he joined the Bangladesh Shipping Corporation.