Hijacked MV Abdullah: ‘Beware of what you publish’

The authority or owning firm of the ship, which has been hijacked by Somali pirates, needs to exercise caution while making comments to the media, said a former captain of a vessel who went through the same ordeal.

"The pirates often follow international media like BBC and CNN and come to know what the hijacked ship's authority is saying to the media, and their responses to those comments might reflect on how they treat the ship's crew," said former Master Captain Farid Ahmed.

Farid was captain of MV Jahan Moni, a Bangladeshi ship that was hijacked by Somali pirates in the Arabian Sea on December 5, 2010.

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With his 25 crew members, along with the wife of the ship's chief officer, who was on board the ship, Captain Farid endured 100 haunting days of being held hostage by the pirates.

After the ship and its crew were let go, Farid returned to the country, left the job, and migrated

He reminisced about those days in an interview with The Daily Star.

MV Abdullah, a Bangladeshi vessel with 23 crew members, was hijacked in the Indian Ocean on March 12 by around 50 Somali pirates.

"I came to know about the hijacked ship from international media. It is unfortunate and worrisome," he said.

The media should also be careful of what they publish, he added.

He called upon the ship's crew and their family members to have patience.

Based on his past experience, he said the Somali pirates often behave rudely with the hostages and force them to send messages to family members back home to compel the ship's authority to pay the ransom promptly.

"It is wise for the ship's crew to behave well with the pirates in the present circumstances to avoid any untoward incident," he said.

"The Somali pirates hijack ships for ransom money. After taking a ship and its crew hostages, they often employ a lawyer as a mediator to discuss the matter with the ship's authority in two or three days. Nothing much can be done until then," he also said.

"That was the case with MV Jahan Moni. The mediator lawyers will contact the ship's owners to discuss ransom and other terms," Captain Farid said.

"There is no certainty as to how long the crew will have to remain hostages. So, it is necessary to use the ship's stored food, water, and fuel responsibly during this time. The crew would have to do rationing to last longer with the food and water," Farid continued.

"Sometimes, the pirates may bring in food from the mainland after anchoring the ship, but restocking fresh water for consumption is difficult once the ship's stock becomes exhausted," he said.

"Also, if the ship's fuel runs out, that may bring much suffering to the ship's crew. So, it is necessary to exercise caution to this end," the captain added.