Crew Allowed To Offer Eid Prayers

The 23 crewmen who are being held hostage on board the hijacked Bangladeshi ship MV Abdullah offered Eid-ul-Fitr prayers on the deck of the ship this morning.

Hijacked by the pirates on March 12, MV Abdullah is now anchored near the Somalian coast. Eid-ul-Fitr is being celebrated in Somalia today.

Following repeated requests, the pirates allowed them (crew) to offer Eid prayers, said the brother.

"My brother just wanted to know the whereabouts of our family members during our brief conversation. Later, he called his pregnant wife and our mother, who are staying in our village home," added the brother.

The wife of another crew member also confirmed the matter.

Quoting her husband, the wife said following earnest request repeatedly by the senior sailors, the pirates allowed the crewmen to offer Eid prayers this morning.

They offered the prayers on the ship's deck, during which they were guarded by heavily armed pirates, she added.

Contacted, Mizanul Islam, media adviser to KSRM Group -- parent organisation of the ship's owning firm SR Shipping Ltd, said he had no information in this regard.

State Minister for Shipping Khalid Mahmud yesterday said that he hoped that the 23 crew members of MV Abdullah could be rescued by this month.

"Our main responsibility is to rescue them, and then hand them over to their families, after bringing them back to the country. Work is going on in this regard. The whole situation is now under our control and we hope we will be able to bring them back safely," he said.