MV Abdullah Hijacking: Is a raid the best course of action?

The Bangladesh-flagged bulk carrier MV Abdullah, owned by Chattogram-based SR Shipping, a KSRM Group subsidiary, was transporting 55,000 tonnes of coal from Maputo, Mozambique to the United Arab Emirates. 

On 12 March, at approximately 1:30 pm Bangladesh time, the vessel was attacked by Somali pirates in the Indian Ocean. There were 23 Bangladeshi crew members on board during the attack.

The police force from the semi-autonomous region of Puntland, a base for many pirate gangs, said it was on high alert and prepared to participate in an operation with international navies to attack the hijacked ship.

However, owners of SR Shipping believe such an operation could put the lives of their sailors at risk. Hence, they declined the proposal for a rescue operation by the EU Maritime Force and Indian Navy.

The Business Standard reached out to maritime and security experts to discuss the possible implications and impact of launching such a rescue operation.

'A raid would not be a good idea'

Captain Anam Chowdhury 

President, Bangladesh Merchant Marine Officers' Association (BMMOA)

You can fight against the pirates until they board your ship. Such instances have happened before, when the pirates were trying to board the ship, and the Navy attacked. That can be a way to stop them.

But once the pirates are on the ship, it is a different scenario, because they take charge of the entire ship - from the decks to the engine room. 30-35 of the pirates board the ship and take control of everything. They have heavy arms and ammunition. 

What happened to [Maltese-flagged bulk cargo vessel] MV Ruen [rescued by] Indian Navy was a totally different situation. It was 14 December when Somalia captured the ship. They captured it for three months and used it as a mother ship to operate raids on other vessels. 

When the Indian Navy attacked the vessel on 9 March, it was on international waters, 350 to 400 miles from the Somali coastline. The Indian Navy attacked with their two brigades, helicopters, and a lot of jet boats. 

It was comparatively easier for them as it was a multi-split vessel, and the crew had people from different countries. Among the 17 crew members, 9 were Bulgarian, 7 were from Myanmar, and one was Angolan, [so there was united international support].

Now, if we agree to attack to retrieve MV Abdullah, there would be a lot of firing. In that case, lives would be at stake, and the ship and the hazardous cargo could be damaged. Considering all these, the Bangladeshi government wants a peaceful negotiation.

There is another issue. There is a regulation regarding territorial water by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and according to the convention, every coastal country will have 12 nautical miles, which is approximately 22 kilometres, as its territory. 

And to enter this territory, other than its own ships, every ship needs permission from the government. If you break this rule and enter the coastal line, and if any casualties happen, it would be the ship's responsibility. 

When MV Abdullah sent us the message on 12 March, it was almost into Somalian territory. In that case, you need to obtain two permissions- one from the country whose coastline you are entering and one from the flagship of the ship, which in Abdullah's case is Bangladesh. 

Bangladesh's government and the ministry are deeply concerned about the safety of the lives of the crew. That is why the government wants to go for negotiations rather than a raid. 

From 2009 to 2016, the Somali pirates hijacked 358 ships, and except for one or two, every one of these ships returned in exchange for ransom. After you pay them the money, they will escort the ship to international waters with the crew and cargo. 

We have the solution in front of us, but we don't look back at history. From 2016 to 2022 - only eight ships were hijacked. If there is high surveillance, naval scotts in the international waters, and checking and monitoring of the vessels leaving the Somalian coast, the hijacking would drop. 

The international naval organisations and the countries that have an interest in shipping can do this. Bangladesh does not have many ships that go beyond the African coast. So, it would not be economically viable for the Bangladesh Navy to go to those zones for surveillance. 

India, America, and the European countries can afford this, because they have many crew working on the ships, and they have trade interests. 

Bangladesh Merchant Marine Officers' Association (BMMOA) is affiliated with the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF), which is one of the biggest organisations in the world with more than 50 million members and 700 affiliates.  

When MV Abdullah was hijacked, we sent the message to the IMO (International Maritime Organisation) through ITF. And the delegated head of the ITF in IMO responded. So, there is global awareness. 

'Everything needs to be thought through'

Dr Md Touhidul Islam

Associate Professor, Department of Peace and Conflict Studies, University of Dhaka

Any kind of intervention has to be calculated. How likely is the operation to succeed, needs to be calculated. There are hostages involved here; if two other countries combine to launch an operation but the hostages belong to a third country, they also need to be involved in the decision-making process.  

If they are not involved in the discussion process, if things go wrong, who will take responsibility? As the owners of the ship don't want such an operation, things need to be thought through.

Another thing to take into consideration is where the ship is located presently. Is it on Somailan territory or is it on international waters? This should also dictate how things are handled. 

And most importantly, have negotiations started yet? Usually, when ships are hijacked by pirates we see them presenting their demands. Have they placed any such demands before the owners? Are those terms being discussed? What are the ship-owners' thoughts on the demand? 

All these factors need to be taken into consideration. Bangladesh being the home country of the hostages, they need to consent to such a decision to conduct an operation. 

Bangladesh can also participate in the discussions proactively, especially about the consequences of the operation. If the operation is successful, it is successful; if it is not, then the situation becomes very tricky.

Another important factor is that there are reports that India is going to be involved in the rescue operation. But India is yet to make any official statement. Since India and Bangladesh are good neighbours, I don't think India will take such a drastic action without consulting Bangladesh.