MV Abdullah anchored at Kutubdia with all crew members

Bangladeshi vessel MV Abdullah which was released on April 14 with all 23 crew members after 31 days of captivity by Somali pirates, anchored at Kutubdia point in the Bay of Bengal in Cox’s Bazar district on Monday evening.

Mizanul Islam, media adviser of the vessel owner KSRM Group , said the vessel reached the Kutubdia coast around 6:30 pm, report's UNB.

On Tuesday, the crew members will be received by their family members and relatives at Chattogram's Sadarghat jetty. 64 days after the 23 crew members were kidnapped by pirates, they will be reunited with their families.

The vessel will leave for Chattogram port after unloading goods at Kutubdia, said Mizanul Islam.

“All the crew members are safe and sound as far as I know and the further development will be known later,” he said.

The vessel, which was hijacked for 33 days, departed Al-Hamriya Port in the United Arab Emirates for Bangladesh on April 28 after unloading 55,000 metric tonnes of coal.

MV Abdullah initially anchored at the UAE port on the evening of April 22, following its release from pirates’ captivity.

The ship first arrived at the outer anchorage of the port on April 21, following its ordeal which began on March 12 when it was seized by Somali pirates about 600 nautical miles off the Somali coast en route from Mozambique to Dubai.

The pirates took control of the vessel and its crew, holding them until a ransom of Tk 55 crore facilitated their release on the night of April 13.