MV Abdullah crew members are safe, no contact with pirates: Officials

All the crew members are safe on the hijacked vessel MV Abdullah, however, no contact has been made with the Somali pirates, said officials of the Bangladesh Merchant Marine Officers Association.

Association's General Secretary Shakhawat Hossain said Kabir Group of Industries, the owner of MV Abdullah, has yet to initiate contact with the Somali pirates who hijacked the Bangladeshi-flagged ship with 23 crew members on board in the Indian Ocean six days ago.

The pirates did not demand any ransom and were changing location frequently as the Indian Navy seized another hijacked ship, Maltese flagged Ruen, Kabir Group spokesman Mizanul Islam said on Sunday.

Bangladesh established contact with the sailors and the owner talked to one of them on Saturday night, Mizanul added.

The ship still had its stock of food and drinking water, and the pirates were treating the sailors well, according to him.

Earlier, a ship from the European Maritime Forces and a warship from the Indian Navy sought permission to launch a rescue operation for the crew members right after Somali pirates hijacked MV Abdullah, but the Ministry of Foreign Affairs opted against any armed intervention.