The seven Bangladeshi crewmembers who were released by the Somali pirates last week will arrive here on Thursday. An official at the Foreign Ministry on Wednesday said an Emirates flight carrying the crew is scheduled to land at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 08:40am. They will be received by senior government officials.The crewmembers were on board the Malaysian flagged vessel MV Albedo when it was hijacked by Somali pirates on November 26, 2010.After long persuasion by the government as well as relevant international organisations, the seven Bangladeshis were released alive by their captors on the evening of June 6. On release, they were taken to Nairobi where the Bangladesh High Commission arranged for their travel documents as well as accommodation, medical checkup and air ticket to Bangladesh.The government deeply appreciated the role of United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the London- based Maritime Piracy and Humanitarian Response Programme (MPHRP) for their continuous support and assistance in the release of the seven abducted Bangladeshi crewmembers.
