Foreign Minister Dr. Hasan Mahmud expressed regret over the hijacking of the Bangladesh-flagged vessel MV Abdullah by Somali pirates, emphasizing that the incident could have been prevented if armed guards had been deployed on board.
During a press briefing on Sunday evening, Dr. Hasan Mahmud highlighted this issue, stating, "Somali pirates have released our sailors in good condition. The sailors have already come within 100 nautical miles of Somalia. A European ship has brought them as guides."
He further elaborated, "When a ship goes to Europe, armed guards are hired. When I investigated the matter, they said they were about 1,000 nautical miles away. That is why armed guards were not hired. Such an incident would not have happened if they had been hired."
Dr. Hasan emphasized the importance of armed guards as a deterrent against pirate attacks, noting, "Pirates also keep track of which ships have armed guards and which ships do not have armed guards." He expressed relief that the sailors were rescued promptly.
