Chattogram Correspondent

The crew members of the Bangladesh-flagged ship, MV Abdullah, and their family members expressed joy following freeing the vessel on Sunday, after 32 days of captivity.

The ship's Chief Officer Atikullah Khan in a Facebook status wrote, "Love you and missing you Bangladesh" attaching a photo of holding a red-green flag.

He wrote, "Alhamdulillah, alhamdulillah, alhamdulillah. Thanks to SR shipping for the unbelievable efforts. Thanks to the friends, family & all well-wishers, who prayed throughout the journey."

"Thanks to Euronavfor Operation Atlanta. Thanks to Bangladesh," he added.

The pictures he uploaded with the posts showed a warship from the European Union's (EU) EUNAVFOR Atlanta next to the MV Abdullah.

Another picture showed EU Navy commandos with Bangladeshi crew members on board MV Abdullah.

Captive crewmember Engine Cadet Ayub Khan’s elder brother Aurangajeb Rabbi told the Daily Sun that the owning authority informed them of the matter of release in the early morning.

Later, his brother also phoned and said they all were fine, he said.

“The news helped us heave a sigh of relief as anxiety kept us gripped over the last one month,” said Rabbi expressing gratefulness to the owning authority and the government for the prompt step and release of their loved ones.

On the other hand, the owning authority Kabir Group at a press conference at their office in the city on Sunday afternoon said their previous experiences helped them to ensure the release of the vessel and its crew members unhurt within a short time.

The company Deputy Managing Director (DMD) Shahriar Jahan Rahat at the conference said the vessel started sailing toward the UAE to discharge its cargo after release. “We are expecting the ship to reach Dubai on 20 April 20.”

He added, “We considered the safety of the hostage crew members and accordingly discouraged operation by international navies.”

Shahriar thanked the prime minister and others concerned for all-out support for the swift release of the vessel and the crewmen and said there was no lack of security measures in the vessel during the hijacking.

Kabir Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Meherul Karim said they proceeded following all international laws for the release of the vessel.