Hijacked MV Jahan Moni
Govt can do nothing but updating information
Says shipping minister
The government has nothing to do but keeping up-to-date information about the Bangladeshi sailors, who are confined by the Somali pirates, said Shipping Minister Shahjahan Khan.
"The owners of the vessel MV Jahan Moni has contacted with the pirates through their own channel but we do not know detail about their negotiation," he said.
The pirates hijacked the ship carrying 25 crew members and the wife of its chief engineer on December 5 last year and demanded ransom.
Later, relatives of the captive sailors met with the foreign minister, ship owners and other government officials demanding effective necessary initiative for freeing them but after two and half months, no one was freed.
The minister told a press conference organised by the Shipping and Communication Reporters' Forum, Bangladesh (SCRFLB) at the National Press Club in the city yesterday.
Terming ship breaking as the most potential sector in the country, he said, "The construction industry completely depends on this sector. So it will be not good for us to shut the sector, rather ship breaking activities should be done carefully so that it can not put affect the environment."
The government will upgrade Bangladesh Marine Academy into Sheikh Mujib Maritime University for human resource development of maritime sector. The prime minister will unveil foundation stone of the university tomorrow and it will be the second maritime university in South Asia, he said.
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