News Desk :
The 28 crew members of Bangladeshi ship ‘Banglar Samriddhi’, who were stranded in war-torn Ukraine, arrived in Dhaka on Wednesday.
A Turkish Airlines flight carrying the 28 from Romania landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport around 12.15 pm, said an intelligence agency official, reports UNB.
The crew members arrived in Romanian capital Bucharest on March 6 from Ukraine through Moldova, said Bangladesh Ambassador to Romania, Daud Ali.
The Bangladesh Shipping Corporation (BSC) ship had been stranded atOlvia port in Ukraine since February 23, following Russia’s invasion of its eastern European neighbour.
One of its crew members on board was killed in a rocket attack on the vessel.
For the crew of Banglar Samriddhi, the trauma of losing a colleague during the Russian onslaught in Ukraine while their own lives lay on the line is sure to leave a deep scar. But for now, at least, they can leave the nightmare behind and look forward to reuniting with their loved ones, reports bdnews24.com
Upon returning home, the ship’s Master GM Noor E Alam was overcome by relief as he had ‘never imagined’ that they’d be back so soon.
He thanked the prime minister and all the officials involved in bringing the seafarers back safe and sound from the war-stricken Eastern European country.
The sailors arrived in Dhaka on a Turkish Airlines flight from Romania’s Bucharest on Wednesday.
Their families as well as
officials from the Bangladesh Shipping Corporation (BSC) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomed them at the airport in the presence of hundreds of reporters.
“We’re happy to be able to return home safely in such a short space of time. This was possible due to the specific directive of the prime minister and the immediate action by the authorities,” Alam said.
Banglar Samriddhi, owned by state-run Bangladesh Shipping Corporation, set off from a port in Turkey and arrived in Ukraine’s Olvia with 29 crew members on Feb 22. The ship was moved to the inner anchorage the following day.
It was supposed to take cement clay on board before travelling to Italy’s Ravenna on Feb 24, but Russia launched its military assault before its scheduled departure.
The vessel’s bridge was hit by a shell on Mar 2, killing Hadisur Rahman, the third engineer on the ship.
The bulk carrier was declared abandoned the next day after the sailors, including two female cadets, left the ship with the body of their colleague in a tugboat and took shelter in bunkers at the port of Olvia.
Three days after they were rescued from the ship, the crew members crossed the Moldovan border into Romania and stayed in a hotel in Bucharest.
Recalling the ordeal in Ukraine, Alam said, “We were terrified. But our government took all the necessary steps. The best thing is that we have been able to reach home safely. But we’re very tired.”
The shipping ministry, BSC and the foreign ministry were in constant touch with them after the ship was hit by the missile, Alam added. He also expressed gratitude to the officials at the Bangladesh missions in Poland, Austria and Romania for their efforts to bring about the sailors’ repatriation.
“Usually, the high-ups in the government do not talk to me directly but after the attack, they spoke to me and would ask about the crew. This boosted our morale.”
“Everything was done in line with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s directive. I am grateful to all of them. That we would be able to return home so soon was beyond our imagination. Many other people from other countries, even those bigger than ours, are still stranded in Ukraine. We’re from a relatively small country but we have been able to return home because of the initiative taken by the prime minister and the cooperation of diplomats.”
But the mood turned sombre as Alam’s thoughts turned to his colleague Hadisur. They were not able to bring his remains back from Ukraine.
“I am deeply shocked and offer my condolences to Hadisur’s family. I would request the government and the BSC to adequately compensate his family.”
Despite repeated requests by the media to recount the events of Mar 2, the day the ship was damaged by shelling, Alam remained tight-lipped.
“We had a routine briefing. Then the attack took place in the evening and the bridge caught fire. We were busy dousing the fire and managed to do it. You have seen the rest of it on the television,” he said.
“All I want to say is that the people of Bangladesh kept us in their prayers. The state ministers for shipping and foreign affairs spoke to me. They asked us to stay safe. They took all possible measures to keep us safe. We have seen refugees walk for as much as 60 miles, but we didn’t have to do that.”
When asked if the ship could have left Ukraine earlier, the master said it was not possible as all 19 channels of the port were closed once the war broke out.
“The best thing is we could bring back 28 of the crew members. Now they’re safe and can go back to their families. The only person we lost was Hadisur Rahman. We convey our deepest condolences to his family. We hope to bring home his mortal remains soon,” said Sikder Bodiruzzaman, director general of the foreign ministry’s East Europe wing.
Bodiruzzaman, however, could not provide a specific timeline for bringing back Hadisur’s body.
“It’s really hard to give a fixed date. A war is ongoing and people are unable to enter or leave the country.”
But the government will do whatever is necessary to ensure that Hadisur’s family is compensated for their loss, he added.
