News Desk: Somali pirates have demanded a ransom of 5 million dollars to release 23 sailors held hostage by pirates in the Indian Ocean. Besides, the bandits have also threatened to kill the hostages one by one if they delay or neglect to pay the ransom.

MV Abdullah is one of 23 vessels owned by Chittagong's Kabir Group. Its product transportation capacity is 58 thousand tons. The vessel belongs to SR Shipping Limited, a subsidiary of Kabir Group. The cargo ship was en route to Al-Hamriya port in the United Arab Emirates from Mozambique via the Indian Ocean with coal.

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Somali pirates took control of the ship at 1.30 am Bangladesh time on its way from Maputo port in Mozambique to the United Arab Emirates. The ship has 55 thousand tons of coal. All 23 sailors on board are Bangladeshis.

The hostages of 23 sailors are ship's master Mohammad Abdur Rashid, chief officer Atiq Ullah Khan, second officer Mozaherul Islam Chowdhury, third officer N Mohammad Tarekul Islam, deck cadet Sabbir Hossain, chief engineer ASM Saiduzzaman, second engineer Md. Taufiqul Islam, third engineer. Rokan Uddin, Fourth Engineer Tanveer Ahmed, Engineer Cadet Ayub Khan, Electrician Ibrahim Khalil Ullah, Crew Md. Anwarul Haque, Md. Asifur Rahman, Md. Sajjad Hossain, Joy Mahmud, Md. Nazmul Haque, Ainul Haque, Mohammad Shamsuddin, Md. Ali Hossain, Mosharraf Hossain Shakeel, Md. Shariful Islam, Md. Nur Uddin and Md. Saleh Ahmad.

Mizanul Islam, Media Advisor of Kabir Group, the company that owns the ship, said, 'So far we have not been contacted by the pirates. The ship's sailors are fine and healthy. According to the latest information, the pirates did not harm the sailors. We are trying to avoid any harm to them. All efforts are being made to bring back the hostages.'

It is to be noted that on Tuesday (March 12) around 1:30 PM, the group's officials learned that the SR Shipping ship owned by Kabir Group was captured by pirates.