Desk Report:

The Bangladeshi hijacked ship MV Abdullah is running out of food soon. For this reason, the pirates started bringing food to the ship from shore. Bangladesh Merchant Marine Officers Association, the ship’s owner and seamen’s association, confirmed the news on Wednesday.

The ship had a food stock of 25 days when it was hijacked on 12 March, but the pirates have been sharing the food for the next 16 days. That’s why the ship is running out of food quickly.

Captain Anam Chowdhury, president of the Bangladesh Merchant Marine Officers Association, said that bandits bring food for their benefit. They have also received news that the pirates brought Tehari-like foods to the MV Abdullah ship.

Earlier in 2010, the hijacked MV Jahan Moni had also been supplied with food by the pirates after it ran out of food. The ship was freed from the pirates after 100 days of hostage. Mohammad Idris, a sailor on that ship, said that frozen food was spoiled because the ship’s refrigerator was not in operation. When the stock finished in the final days, the pirates used to provide food from the shore.

Generally, a ship carries enough food for the duration of its voyage and a buffer in case of delays. MV Abdullah was heading from Mozambique to the United Arab Emirates when it was hijacked. It had limited provisions as the journey was expected to last 15 days.

When asked, Mizanul Islam, media advisor of Kabir Group, the owner of the ship, told Prothom Alo that the hostage sailors are healthy. There is nothing to worry about if the sailors are running out of food on board. Because the pirates are bringing food to the ship from the shore.