Homecoming after 42 months
Thursday, 12 June 2014
Seven Bangladesh nationals, who served as crew on a Malaysian ship, returned home on Thursday, after their release on Saturday by Somali pirates. They have spent 3-and-half-year as hostage of the pirates. The seven sailors arrived at Hazrat Shahjalal (RA) International Airport in Kurmitola in Dhaka by an Emirates Airlines flight at 8.45am. Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan and State Minister for Home Shahriar Alam and senior government officials received them at the airport. Their family members were also present at the airport to receive them. The crewmen served on board the Malaysian ship, MV Albedo, which was commandeered by the pirates in November 2010. After their release last Saturday, they were taken to Nairobi in Kenya, where the Bangladesh High Commission arranged for their travel documents and took care of them. The government appreciated the role of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the London-based Maritime Piracy and Humanitarian Response Programme (MPHRP) for their continuous support and assistance in securing the hostages' release, according to bdnews24.com.