The authorities have declared abandoned a Bangladeshi ship, damaged by a missile in Ukraine, as the sailors have begun moving to nearby bunkers after the death of an engineer.

Tug boats were being used for the evacuation of the crew members of Banglar Samriddhi, said Pijush Dutta, executive director of Bangladesh Shipping Corporation, the owner of the vessel. The 28 Bangladeshis left the ship about 7:30 pm Bangladesh standard time on Thursday.

BSC Deputy General Manager Captain Amir Md Abu Sufian said the sailors were also carrying the body of Hadisur Rahman, the ship’s third engineer who died after a projectile hit the ship and exploded on Wednesday.

The evacuation took place only after the safety of the sailors was confirmed, Capt Amir said. The Bangladesh Embassy in Poland will now decide where the Bangladeshis would go.

The attack damaged the ship’s navigation bridge, automatic identification system, radar and other equipment, according to a video shared on Facebook. The crew members and their families pleaded for a safe evacuation since the death of Hadisur. The government and the owner said they were working on the issue.

On Feb 21, Banglar Samriddhi set off from a port in Turkey and arrived in Ukraine’s Olvia. It was at the port’s outer anchorage on Feb 22 and was moved to the inner anchorage the following day. The ship, rented to Danish firm Delta Corporation, was scheduled to take cement clay on board before travelling to Italy’s Ravenna on Feb 24.

In a statement shared on its verified Facebook page on Thursday, the Russian Embassy in Dhaka sent condolences over the death of Hadisur, saying he died as a result of a missile attack. “The circumstances of the incident are being established.”

“We express deep condolences to the near and dear ones of the deceased,” the embassy said, promising “every effort” to ensure the safe departure of the Bangladeshi ship from the port.

It claimed the Command of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, relying on the objective monitoring data, has repeatedly stated that the “Ukrainian nationalists open indiscriminate fire and deliberately capture hostages, use them as a ‘human shield’, resorting to the well-known terrorists’ tactic during the retreat”.

‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‌Citing Sultana Laila Hossain, the Bangladesh ambassador in Poland, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam said in a video message the crew members of Banglar Samriddhi were taken to a safe zone.

“They are safe and carrying the body of their colleague Hadisur Rahman. We are trying to move them to Warsaw as soon as possible.” The authorities are planning quick repatriation of the 28 Bangladeshis once they reach the Polish capital, Shahriar said.

Source: bdnews24.com