DHAKA, Bangladesh

Bangladesh is taking "appropriate steps" to safely bring back the crew members of the hijacked Bangladeshi ship MV Abdullah, deputy minister for shipping said on Wednesday.

At a media briefing, Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury emphasized the seriousness of the situation, stating that the captors are "not ordinary criminals, but pirates."

He stressed the urgency of finding a solution, saying: "There are organizations that might have contact with the pirates... We must do everything in our power to rescue the crew and ship.”

Earlier, in a brazen attack on Monday near the Indian Ocean, Somali pirates hijacked the Bangladeshi cargo vessel, MV Abdullah. All 23 crew members are now being held captive onboard.

In a message, Chief Officer Atiq Ullah Khan pleaded with his wife to get the word out: “The pirates are taking their phones and threatening to kill them if a ransom is not paid.”

“The quicker the money can be sent, the quicker we can be released. Pass on this message to everybody,” Khan texted his wife.

Separately, Chief Engineer Saiduzzaman made a desperate plea to the ship's owners in an audio message. He begged them to keep the ship's internet active, as it's their only chance to send messages if things escalate.

When asked about potential threats to the crew's lives, Chowdhury told reporters that they have “no official confirmation that the pirates intend to harm the hostages in exchange for ransom.”

“MV Abdullah is still 600 nautical miles off the Somalia coast. We have informed the Foreign Ministry and the Bangladesh Navy about the current situation. We sought their help to resolve the issue.”

SR Shipping, a Chattogram-based company owned by KSRM Group, which owns the MV Abdullah, said it prioritizes the safety of its crew.

Shahriar Jahan Rahat, deputy managing director of KSRM Group, told Anadolu that the company will focus all its efforts on securing the safe return of the 23 crew members once communication is established.