Surviving 28 crew members reach home

The 28 surviving crew members of the Bangladesh Shipping Corporation (BSC) vessel– Banglar Samriddhi– returned home in Dhaka, from Bucharest, Romania, today.

A Turkish Airlines flight carrying the gang of sailors arrived at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) at 12:10pm on Wednesday (9 March).

Those who have returned are -- G M Noor E Alam, Md Monsorul Amin Khan, Selim Mia, Ramakrishna Biswas, Md Rukunuzzaman Razib, Fariatul Jannat Tuli, Faysal Ahmed Setu, Mohammad Omar Faruk, Syed Asiful Islam, Rabiul Awal, Salman Sorowar Sami, Farjana Islam Mow, Md Sheak Sadi, Md Masudur Rahman, Md Jamal Hossain, Mohammad Hanif, Md Aminur Islam, Md Mohin Uddin, Hossain Mohammad Rakib, SAzzad Ibne Alam, Nazmul Uddin, Md Nazrul Islam, Sarwar Hossain, Md Masum Billa, Mohammed Hossain, Md Atikur Rahman, Md Shafiqur Rahman, and Mohammad Saif Uddin.

They arrived in Romania on 6  March from Ukraine through Moldova. Earlier on Tuesday, Bangladesh Ambassador to Romania Daud Ali, while speaking with the media after completing al boarding and immigration-related formalities, said,

"We extended all cooperation including smooth immigration both in Moldova and Romania, transport from Moldova to Bucharest (in Romania), hotel accommodation, food, etc." 

"During their short stay in Bucharest, we arranged a dinner at our residence and on Tuesday lunch at our embassy," Ambassador Daud furthered. 

The crew were stranded in war-ravaged Ukraine before crossing the border. 

"Hopefully, they will reach Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka on Wednesday," said Captain Md Mujibur Rahman, deputy general manager (planning) of BSC recently. 

"The body of the ship‍‍`s third engineer Hadisur Rahman, who was killed during a rocket attack on the ship, has been preserved in a bunker near Ukraine and it will be brought back at a convenient time," added the BSC deputy GM.

Meanwhile, General Secretary of Bangladesh Merchant Marine Officers‍‍` Association (BMMOA) Md Shakwat Hossain said, "As situation in Ukraine is worsening the procedure to bring back Hadisur‍‍`s body is being delayed. 

The procedure to bring back his body home will begin within five to seven days depending on the situation there." 

The BSC ship got stranded in Ukraine as the Russian invasion started soon after it anchored at Olvia port on 23 February. 

The ship had been declared abandoned after it came under rocket attack that killed one of its crew members.