‘It felt like 33 years’
Exactly a month after being freed from the clutches of Somali Pirates, crewmembers of MV Abdullah returned to Chattogram port yesterday. They arrived via lighter vessel MV Jahan Moni-3.
Md Atik Ullah Khan, chief officer of MV Abdullah spoke to The Daily Star about their harrowing experiences before their release.
"The pirates were carrying heavy weapons -- like rocket launchers, mortar shells and AK-47 rifles. At times they would test their firearms for maintenance using blank shots," said Md Atik Ullah Khan.
I don't want to recall the 33-day of captivity. It felt like 33 years. We passed each day amidst fear as they were armed. We even had to offer our Eid prayers at gunpoint.
"Just half an hour before releasing us, the pirates took all of us on the deck of the ship and made us form a queue. Despite spending a month with us, joking and laughing, the pirates were in a serious mood that day. They informed us that they would leave around midnight in the cover of darkness. But when they saw naval ships nearby, they halted their plans. At one point, they even asked the navy to move away, but they refused," Atik added.
"They then lifted the anchor of the ship and moved it some distance away, before leaving via a speed boat. Then the navy boarded our ship within a few minutes."
Regarding the group photo they took on the day of Eid while in captivity, Atik said, "We were using internet services secretly. I had a camera with which their interpreter took that photo. But when it appeared in the media, the pirates' leader wanted to know how the photo was leaked."
"They understood that we were using the internet and so they confiscated our laptops and other devices," he added.
Crew member Shamsuddin said, "I don't want to recall the 33-day of captivity. It felt like 33 years. We passed each day amidst fear and anxiety as they were armed. We even had to offer our Eid prayers at gunpoint," he added.
MV Abdullah came under attack of Somali pirates on March 12, while transporting 55,000 tonnes of coal from Maputo port of Mozambique to Al Hamriyah port in UAE. The pirates released the ship on April 14 after reportedly receiving a ransom.
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