Bangladeshi sailors taken hostage by Somali pirates have spoken to their families for the first time since their cargo vessel was seized last week.
Somali pirates hijacked the Bangladesh-flagged MV Abdullah that was carrying coal from Maputo, Mozambique to Al Hamriya port, UAE, with 22 crew on board on March 12.
Relatives have described the terror and psychological trauma the men are experiencing with Somali pirates wielding AK-47 assault rifles on board.
They have also raised concerns of dwindling supplies of fresh water and food as the ship was scheduled to reach the Emirates earlier this week.
Every day we are scared something will happen to him
Mainul Hoque about his brother Ainul Hoque,
among 22 Bangladeshi hostages being held by Somali pirates
The ship owners, SR Shipping Lines, confirmed the men were safe and all efforts were being made for the return of the crew and vessel.
“My brother is very nervous, they are all scared, their water will be finished very soon and if the food gets over - they are worried,” Mainul Hoque told The National from Chittagong, after the family spoke to his brother Ainul Hoque who is among the hostages.
“He said, ‘What will happen when the food gets over, what will we eat and drink?'”
The pirates demanded the crew give up phones and electronic devices and after several days permitted them a few minutes to speak to their families on the ship's satellite phone
Mainul's 30-year-old brother, an engineer, has been a seafarer since 2016 and the family are terrified of the danger he is in.
“My mother told my brother, ‘Be strong, you will come back to us very soon’," he said
“The pirates are not yet trying to hurt them but we can’t sleep because of the tension.
“Every day we are scared something will happen to him.”
Rescue efforts continue
A group of about 15 to 20 pirates took control of the ship carrying 55,000 tonnes of coal when it was about 500 nautical miles away from the Somali coast last week.
At gunpoint, the pirates forced the crew to sail to Somalia.
Meherul Karim, chief executive of SR Shipping, which is part of the Bangladesh-based KSRM Group, confirmed the crew were safe, but declined to speak about negotiations with the pirates.
“The crew are in good health, they are calling their families and we are in contact with the families,” Mr Karim said.
“The pirates allowed them to use the ship’s satellite phone to call their families."
When asked about the company’s communication with the pirates, he said, “Everything is being done to get the ship released without any injury and application of force.
“We are doing everything possible to get the vessel out as early as possible.”
This is the second time that a vessel owned by the group has been hijacked by Somali pirates.
In March 2011, pirates released 26 hostages from the MV Jahan Moni after 100 days in captivity.
Mr Karim was part of the team that negotiated the release of the crew more than a decade ago.
“We are in a team and working together,” he said.
“We will use all the experience we have to bring the men home safe.”
'How can we eat when my son is not getting food'
The family of Mohammed Atikullah, the ship’s 35-year-old chief officer, said they were relieved to speak to him but were anxious about the crew’s mental wellbeing.
“My brother said ‘just pray for us’,” Mohammad Asif, his younger brother, told The National from Chittagong.
He said they were fine and there was no need to worry.
"He tried to make us feel better," Mr Asif said.
“After the call, we felt a bit of relief. Before that, we were in panic mode every day.
“Even though he told us they [pirates] didn’t harm them, I know that mentally they are not well.
The pirates had machine guns, AK-47s, and other heavy weapons, Mr Asif said.
“All crew are in one room, the bridge room, at night but they are not sleeping well," he added.
“We want them to get back safe soon.”
The thought of their loved one on a ship with gunmen had shaken his wife and young children and mother.
“We are going through very hard times, my mother is crying every day,” Mr Asif said.
“She says my son is not getting food properly, how can we eat.”
Several hijacking attempts off the Somali coast since December have triggered concern about a resurgence of piracy.
This coincides with a surge in attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels targeting merchant ships passing through the Red Sea in retaliation against the military operation by Israel in Gaza.
Naval forces from multiple nations have stepped up patrolling following a rise in piracy and drone attacks in the Gulf of Aden, Red Sea, Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean.
In the case of MV Abdullah, the Indian Navy said it responded to an SOS call from the cargo ship and had deployed a patrol aircraft.
An Indian warship tried to establish communication with the crew but did not receive a response and stayed with the vessel until it entered Somali waters.
In a separate incident, the Indian navy rescued 17 crew and took control of Maltese-flagged bulk carrier MV Ruen on March 16.
The navy said all 35 pirates surrendered marking the end of the takeover of the Bulgarian-owned vessel that was hijacked in December 2023 – the first time since 2017 that any cargo vessel was successfully boarded by Somali pirates.
Somali gunmen caused fear in the maritime world when attacks peaked in 2011 and pirates took dozens of crew hostage and demanded millions of dollars in ransom.
Piracy incidents fell sharply in recent years after the international naval presence was expanded in high-risk areas off the Somali coast.
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
The Gandhi Murder
- 71 - Years since the death of MK Gandhi, also christened India's Father of the Nation
- 34 - Nationalities featured in the film The Gandhi Murder
- 7 - million dollars, the film's budget
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
India squads
T20: Rohit Sharma (c), Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Sanju Samson, Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Rishabh Pant, Washington Sundar, Krunal Pandya, Yuzvendra Chahal, Rahul Chahar, Deepak Chahar, Khaleel Ahmed, Shivam Dube, Shardul Thakur
Test: Virat Kohli (c), Rohit Sharma, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Hanuma Vihari, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
PROFILE OF HALAN
Started: November 2017
Founders: Mounir Nakhla, Ahmed Mohsen and Mohamed Aboulnaga
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport and logistics
Size: 150 employees
Investment: approximately $8 million
Investors include: Singapore’s Battery Road Digital Holdings, Egypt’s Algebra Ventures, Uber co-founder and former CTO Oscar Salazar
WHEN TO GO:
September to November or March to May; this is when visitors are most likely to see what they’ve come for.
WHERE TO STAY:
Meghauli Serai, A Taj Safari - Chitwan National Park resort (tajhotels.com) is a one-hour drive from Bharatpur Airport with stays costing from Dh1,396 per night, including taxes and breakfast. Return airport transfers cost from Dh661.
HOW TO GET THERE:
Etihad Airways regularly flies from Abu Dhabi to Kathmandu from around Dh1,500 per person return, including taxes. Buddha Air (buddhaair.com) and Yeti Airlines (yetiairlines.com) fly from Kathmandu to Bharatpur several times a day from about Dh660 return and the flight takes just 20 minutes. Driving is possible but the roads are hilly which means it will take you five or six hours to travel 148 kilometres.
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
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Business Insights
- As per the document, there are six filing options, including choosing to report on a realisation basis and transitional rules for pre-tax period gains or losses.
- SMEs with revenue below Dh3 million per annum can opt for transitional relief until 2026, treating them as having no taxable income.
- Larger entities have specific provisions for asset and liability movements, business restructuring, and handling foreign permanent establishments.
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
Yahya Al Ghassani's bio
Date of birth: April 18, 1998
Playing position: Winger
Clubs: 2015-2017 – Al Ahli Dubai; March-June 2018 – Paris FC; August – Al Wahda
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
Europe’s rearming plan
- Suspend strict budget rules to allow member countries to step up defence spending
- Create new "instrument" providing €150 billion of loans to member countries for defence investment
- Use the existing EU budget to direct more funds towards defence-related investment
- Engage the bloc's European Investment Bank to drop limits on lending to defence firms
- Create a savings and investments union to help companies access capital
Cryopreservation: A timeline
- Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
- Ovarian tissue surgically removed
- Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
- Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
- Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
House-hunting
Top 10 locations for inquiries from US house hunters, according to Rightmove
- Edinburgh, Scotland
- Westminster, London
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- Kensington and Chelsea, London
- Highlands, Scotland
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- Tower Hamlets, London
Rebel%20Moon%20-%20Part%20One%3A%20A%20Child%20of%20Fire
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MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
A%20Little%20to%20the%20Left
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Company%20profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMaly%20Tech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202023%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Mo%20Ibrahim%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%20International%20Financial%20Centre%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20FinTech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunds%20raised%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%241.6%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2015%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EPre-seed%2C%20planning%20first%20seed%20round%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20GCC-based%20angel%20investors%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
HIJRA
Starring: Lamar Faden, Khairiah Nathmy, Nawaf Al-Dhufairy
Director: Shahad Ameen
Rating: 3/5
SPECS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2-litre%204-cylinder%20petrol%20(V%20Class)%3B%20electric%20motor%20with%2060kW%20or%2090kW%20powerpack%20(EQV)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20233hp%20(V%20Class%2C%20best%20option)%3B%20204hp%20(EQV%2C%20best%20option)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20350Nm%20(V%20Class%2C%20best%20option)%3B%20TBA%20(EQV)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMid-2024%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ETBA%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
THE%20STRANGERS'%20CASE
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The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
