Pirates Mount Pressure On Sailors To Avert Naval Raid

The European Union and the Indian Navy have jointly increased pressure on the pirates to rescue the Bangladeshi ship MV Abdullah, which was hijacked from the Indian Ocean. Earlier a relative of one of the sailors aboard the Bangladesh-flagged vessel MV Abdullah, captured by pirates last week, has reported an escalation in their aggressiveness towards the crew. Badrul Islam, brother-in-law of the Kabir Group-owned ship's oiler Mohammad Shamsuddin, said on Monday night that all the sailors were healthy, but they were not allowed to enter the ship's computer room.

He said their water supply was rapidly dwindling, with the pirates restricting usage to only a couple of hours per day, forcing the sailors to resort to using seawater for the remainder of the day.

"I spoke with Shamsuddin on WhatsApp when he made a call at around 2pm on Sunday Bangladesh time. He said he was healthy. He told me the pirates had taken away everyone's mobile phone, promising to return them with local SIM cards. But they did not do that. It is a kind of deception." 

"At night, when the sailors go to sleep in their respective cabins, pirates keep banging on their doors every couple of hours. This is how the pirates are harassing them," Badrul said.

Badrul, quoting Shamsuddin, said the pirates had yet to contact the ship's owners to convey their demands, as they were waiting for the owners to initiate contact to potentially secure a higher ransom. "On the other hand, the ship owners are waiting for the pirates to make the first move and outline their demands."

Concerns for the safety and well-being of the 23 sailors on board the ship continue to grow among their family members, with some relatives falling ill due to anxiety.

According to a source familiar with the matter, the pirate group that first seized MV Abdullah later handed it over to a second group. It is uncertain whether the second group will demand ransom or leave it in the hands of another group.