Staff Correspondent

The seafarers return home usually after a voyage for six months, but the return of the 23 crew members of the Bangladesh-flagged vessel MV Abdullah, released by Somali pirates on 14 April, was quite different.

Many of the crewmembers termed the release from the captivity of notorious Somali pirates as a rebirth.

The horror moments when the vessel was hijacked in the Indian Ocean and the days in captivity under gunpoint still haunt some of them.

The crews shared their experiences with the Daily Sun on Tuesday, the day they could meet the families after 30 days of getting released from the pirates.

The ship’s Chief Officer Atikullah Khan said it was the first Ramadan day and they were performing duties on the vessel as usual.

“As a seafarer, the matter of pirate attack was more or less known to me and others. But, it was beyond imagination that I would fall victim to the crisis,” he said.

“We noticed the pirates descending speedboat from a fishing trawler, coming rapidly to our vessel and boarding it.”

All necessary measures, including spraying of water with fire hosepipe and zigzag course, were conducted to resist the pirate attack. “However, pirates boarded the vessel in the blink of an eye and took us hostage at gunpoint,” Atik said.

“The days of captivity began since then and we passed every day amid uncertainty. We were not used to the situation as we were kept under heavy firearms round-the-clock,” he said.

“I do not want to recall the bad days as the awful experiences still haunt me.”

“Following the incident, my family wants me not to sail again but I am trying to forget those days,” Atik went on.

Atik, who started his career in 2009, said he thought much about his mother, ailing wife and three daughters. “There is nothing bigger than that I am going to embrace them today.”

The ship’s youngest Engineer Ayub Khan expressed joy in seeing relatives at the port jetty.

He said, at first, he thought that the pirates would release them after taking their belongings in a few days. “I got afraid after knowing that another ship of the company was released after three months.”

“We passed the days amid anxiety in the captivity. The pirates got infuriated after a photo of Eid prayer went viral on social media,” mentioned Ayub.

“Then, they realised that we were using devices and the internet secretly and seized the laptop of the chief officer.”

“Fortunately, the situation did not linger as the day of release came two days after the incident. Now, I am happy to return home and getting mental strength back,” said Ayub who lost his father on 10 February this year.

Echoing Atik and Ayub, Electrician Ibrahim Khalilullah termed those days as full of horror.

“When we look back at those days, it feels like a nightmare,” he narrated.

“It is due to the grace of the Almighty, the company’s effort and people’s wishes, that we finally can meet our loved ones,” Ibrahim added.