Inter-ministerial meeting today to rescue hostages in Somalia

The foreign ministry has convened an inter-ministerial meeting today (March 14) to prepare an action plan to rescue the 23 Bangladeshi sailors held hostage by Somali pirates.

The meeting is scheduled to be held at 11:00am at the conference room of the foreign ministry. It will be presided over by the Acting Secretary of the ministry Rear Admiral (retired) Md Khurshid Alam.

The meeting will be attended by representatives from different ministries, departments and agencies, according to a letter signed by Senior Assistant Secretary (Africa) to the foreign ministry Iftekhar Rahman.

According to the letter, this meeting is to decide the strategy for the safe rescue of the ship and crew from the Somali pirates.

Meanwhile, after capturing the Bangladeshi flagged ship MV Abdullah, the pirates headed towards the coast under their control. Observing the course of the ship, officials said that the ship is expected to reach there by Thursday afternoon. Negotiations are expected to begin on the release of the ship and sailors, after the ship reaches there.

According to the sources of the Directorate of Shipping, the ship at present in the Indian Ocean is being driven towards the coast of Somalia. The ship was 480 nautical miles away from land in the northwest Indian Ocean early yesterday morning.

Sakhawat Hossain, general secretary of Bangladesh Merchant Marine Officers Association, said, "The ship will reach the coast of Somalia by Thursday noon.”