How safe are the seas?
On 20 March, a third party, on behalf of the Somali pirates, made contact with the owners of the Bangladeshi-flagged MV Abdullah vessel.
This brings on a heavy sigh of relief. "The initiation of contact is a positive development, as it ends a period of uncertainty," remarked Captain Shakhawat Hossain, general secretary of the Bangladesh Merchant Marine Officers' Association.
MV Abdullah was hijacked in the Indian Ocean and then sailed to Somalia.
On 12 March, Bangladesh saw its second incident of hijacking in international waters.
The first was the cargo ship MV Jahan Moni on 5 December 2010, captured by Somali pirates in the Arabian Sea who then diverted the ship to Somalia.
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A negotiated amount of $4.72 million—$4.62 million for ransom and $100,000 for fuel— was agreed upon. After 100 days in captivity, on 12 March 2011, the ransom was delivered. The captives were allowed to sail home, finally free, on the following day.
In both cases, Bangladesh fell victim to Somali pirates. In light of this, we take a look into how maritime piracy existed and sallied across the world, the factors influencing its presence and more.
