Hijacked BD Ship in Somalia

[eastwatch]

Sailors of seized ship 'safe' | Bangladesh | bdnews24.com

Sailors of seized ship 'safe'
Sun, Dec 12th, 2010 9:46 pm

Chittagong, Dec 12 (bdnews24.com)—The owner of the hijacked ship says Pirates have contacted them from Somalia and that all 25 Bangladeshi seamen on board are safe.

Mohammed Shahjahan, chairman of Brave Royal Shipping Management Limited that owns the ship, MV Jahan Moni, told a media briefing on Sunday that the pirates put him through to the captain, chief engineer and his wife on telephone. They talked twice, at 2:30pm and at 7pm, he said.

The Somali pirates hijacked the ship from the Arabian Sea off the coast of Cochin around 3:45pm on Dec 5 and took it to Garad village in Somalia's coast around 1:30am on Saturday. Twenty-five Bangladeshi sailors and the wife of one sailor were on board.

Marine superintendent of the company Captain Mohammad Golam Mostafa said: "Its position was unchanged until Sunday noon.

It was carrying 43,150 tonnes of nickel and was scheduled to go to Greece from Indonesia via Suez Canal.

Foreign minister Dipu Moni and shipping minister Shajahan Khan on Dec 7 said the government started negotiations with the Somali pirates to free the ship and its sailors.

"We'll have to wait until the ship reaches the shore," Moni had said.

 

[eastwatch]

Pirates yet to claim ransom | Bangladesh | bdnews24.com

Pirates yet to claim ransom
Mon, Dec 13th, 2010 1:15 am

Chittagong, Dec 12 (bdnews24.com) - Owner of the hijacked ship has said that the pirates have not demanded ransom yet.

Mohammed Shahjahan, managing director of Brave Royal Shipping Management Limited that owns the ship, MV Jahan Moni, told a media briefing on Sunday that the pirates contacted them from Somalia and confirmed the safety of all 25 Bangladeshi seamen on board.

He said the pirates put him through to captain Farid Ahmed, chief engineer Matiul Mawla and his wife Roksana Guljar on telephone. They talked twice, at 2:30pm and at 7pm, he added.

Referring to the conversation with the captain, he said there were 25 pirates on board.

Shahjahan, also the chairman of Kabir Group that owns the company, said all necessary steps will be taken to ensure the release of the sailors as soon as possible and at any cost.

Manager of the company Meherul Karim said the pirate who contacted them wanted to know of the owner's thoughts.

He said all the Bangladeshis were confined in a single room on the ship's bridge.

The Somali pirates hijacked the ship from the Arabian Sea off the coast of Cochin around 3:45pm on Dec 5 and took it to Garad village in Somalia's coast around 1:30am on Saturday. Twenty-five Bangladeshi sailors and the wife of one sailor were on board.

"Its position was unchanged until Sunday noon," marine superintendent of the company Captain Mohammad Golam Mostafa said.

It was carrying 43,150 tonnes of nickel and was scheduled to go to Greece from Indonesia via Suez Canal.

Foreign minister Dipu Moni and shipping minister Shajahan Khan on Dec 7 said the government started negotiations with the Somali pirates to free the ship and its sailors.

"We'll have to wait until the ship reaches the shore," Moni had said.

 

[monitor]

All aboard hijacked ship doing well
Says owner; Crews' families tell of ransom demands
Staff Correspondent, Ctg

The families of two crew of hijacked ship MV Jahan Moni yesterday claimed that the pirates demanded ransoms for their release. But the figures vary wildly.

Mohammad Shahjahan, owner of the hijacked ship, contradicted them saying the pirates had not yet demanded any ransom.

He said the captain of the ship told him over the phone that all 26 Bangladeshis on board the vessel are in good health.

Urmila Sharmin, wife of Abul Bashar, 28, second engineer of the ship, said the pirates demanded $9 million, while Bilkis Rahman, the mother of another crew, said the abductors demanded Tk 900 crore.

Urmila said her husband called her at about 10:00pm from the phone of a pirate and said the pirates asked him to pay a ransom of $9 million as soon as possible.

Bashar talked to her for nearly three minutes and said the ship would run out of food and fuel in five days.

Earlier, the ship owner claimed that the vessel had a stock of food and fuel for the crew for two months.

The pirates hijacked the Bangladesh-flagged ship in the Arabian Sea off the coast of India on December 5.

Bilkis Rahman, mother of engine cadet Md Shahriar Rabbi, 21, said her son called her at about 10:10am yesterday and said the pirates had confined the crew to the navigation deck.

She said Rabbi sobbed during the 10-minute conversation. He told her that they were allowed to use only one toilet.

"Please rescue us. Tell the government to do something, otherwise the pirates will torture us," she quoted her son as saying.

Meanwhile, Mohammad Shahjahan, owner of SR Shipping Ltd, said the pirates allowed the ship's Chief Engineer Motiul Maola and his wife Roksana to talk to him over the phone at about 2:30pm. The two told him that all the crewmembers were in good health.

Shahjahan, also chairman of Royal Shipping Ltd, told journalists that the prates made two phone calls -- one at 2:30pm and another at 7:00pm. He was speaking at a press conference at his office in Agrabad in the port city last night.

He said 24 Somali pirates held control of the ship.

The pirates hijacked the Bangladesh-flagged ship in the Arabian Sea off the coast of India on December 5

 

[AMCA]

simply amazing a ship hijacked off the coast of india and taken all the way to somalia without being intercepted by Indian navy or any other navy which sails these sea lanes.Was the hijacked ship given the safe passage???

India is the only country Occupying the Worlds 3rd biggest Ocean huh??? No other country?? And which Coast of India was the Ship Hijacked???

A Navy which has got world's maritime controlling agency, IMO Award for escorting 700 merchant ships, including 600 foreign-flagged vessels from over 45 countries, during anti-piracy patrols in the Gulf of Aden since October 2008. Would do nothing if it has happened in its own coast??? Speak sense Brother, or if U have very little to contribute its Better not to waste your time here...