MV Jahan Moni Hijack
No contact with pirates
Somali pirates who hijacked Bangladeshi flagged vessel MV Jahan Moni again stopped contact for the last two days till yesterday afternoon.
After a six-day interval, the pirates contacted officials of Brave Royal Ship Management, the ship's operating firm, last Friday for ransom.
The firm's General Manager Meherul Karim confirmed it saying the pirates called them to give a phone number and asked to call back on that number. He disagreed to give any details about the conversation.
He said the last conversation with the pirates was comparatively positive and they became hopeful of settling the problem soon.
“Pirates did not make any contact on Saturday and today (Sunday),” he said while talking to The Daily Star yesterday afternoon.
Several family members of the crewmen said the pirates also allowed several crewmen to talk to them on Friday and Saturday.
Mother of one of the ship's crew preferring anonymity said she was able to talk to her son for a couple of minutes on Friday evening.
“My son told that all the crewmembers were well but the pirates were pressing them to pursue the owners for immediate payment of ransom,” said the mother.
The ship's Chief Engineer Matiul Maola and his wife Ruksana Gulzer were recently shifted to another room of the ship while the rest of the 24 crewmembers were confined to one room, told crewmen to their relatives.
On pirates pressing crewmen for ransom, Meherul denied any sort of ultimatum given by the pirates and said the pirates could do so to keep pressure on the crewmen.
He, however, said they were ready to pay the ransom and made all necessary preparations to bring the ship and the crew back.
“But at first we need to be sure of the person whom we would hand over the money and see if he is trustworthy,” he said.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel.
Comments