'Pirates were very angry with Indians, not Bangladeshis'
Ayub Khan of MV Abdullah's Manavzamin
May 16, 2024, 07:47:28
After taking over the ship, our captain informed the pirates that everyone on the ship is Muslim, everyone is fasting, everyone is Bangladeshi. The pirates were very angry with the Indians, not the Bangladeshis. They were looking to see if there were any Indians on board. They wanted to be sure of it in various ways. They also suspected one of us to be an Indian after seeing his big moustache.
Ayub Khan Rabin, engine cadet of the MV Abdullah ship, said these things in a private conversation with Manabzamin after returning to his family after being freed from the pirates of Somalia. He said that pirates think it is permissible to take people hostage like this. This can be done to meet the economic crisis.
"They rarely prayed. One day I saw only one pirate fasting. I told them one day, you are Muslims. Why don't you pray and fast? They said, we are travelers.
The traveler does not need to pray or fast. Sometimes they mixed a kind of leaf with something like honey and took intoxicants. They often used to bet online," said Ayub Khan Rabin, the younger son of the deceased Azhar Mia of Rakhalia Village, Ward No. 6, Sonapur Union, Raipur Upazila, Laxmipur.
About the interpreter who was assigned to speak, Robin said, "He has dealt with 6/7 ships before. He said his home is in Kenya. He also lived in Somalia as a child. He also went to the United States a few days ago. Apart from him, the pirates also have wives and children in different countries. There is."What was the life of a hostage? What would you do if you survived? "Many of us thought we would leave our jobs if we survived. Even if we do work, we will do it with security of life."
"Initially they played with us but later stopped eating because of excess heat. Later they would cook separately for themselves. This made our ship's Bangladeshi cook breathe a sigh of relief", Robin was telling the story.
Asked if the pirates had given their contact numbers, he said, "No. But, I may have accidentally logged in their e-mail on a friend's mobile phone."
Robin was saying that if any of them did something wrong, their commander would punish them by handcuffing them in military style. At the time of leaving the ship, their leader jokingly handed a paper to our captain and said, 'Here I have given the certificate. If you see this, no other pirates will catch you for the next six months.'
(Tripurainfo)