Dhaka against EU's proposal to 'forcibly' rescue of MV Abdullah

The European Union Naval Force proposed a forceful rescue of Bangladeshi-flagged ship MV Abdullah and its crew members from Somali pirates. However, Bangladesh opted against any armed intervention.

Rear Admiral (retd) Khorshed Alam, secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs maritime unit said, "The government and the owners of the ship did not agree to the proposal considering the safety of the lives of the sailors."

Khurshed Alam said in a TV talk show on Sunday that the government and the owner did not agree to the proposal, considering the safety of the 23 seafarers. The government has informed all parties working to prevent piracy in the Indian Ocean.

According to him, a ship from the European Maritime Forces and a warship from the Indian Navy immediately sought permission from the Bangladesh government to launch a rescue operation but the foreign ministry opted against any armed intervention.

Khurshed Alam said, "Until today, it has not been possible to forcibly board the ship and rescue anyone by the armed forces or by the navy. Because of the risk of casualties here, we, and especially the owners, are saying, 'No, we're going to solve it the way it's been solved peacefully in the past.' That's the way we're going."

On March 12, MV Abdullah was captured by Somali pirates in the Indian Ocean on its way to the United Arab Emirates with 55,000 tonnes of coal from Mozambique. Pirates take control of the ship and take all 23 sailors hostage.