Family members of Chief Officer Md Atik Ullah Khan were preparing to mark the joyous beginning of Ramadan with the table filled with exquisite dishes during Iftar. But little did they know that all of their joy and enthusiasm would be shattered by the news that the Bangladeshi vessel “MV Abdullah” with Atik and 22 other crewmembers aboard was hijacked by Somali pirates.

Atik’s pregnant wife Mina Azmin received a phone call from him around 11am when he told her with an unusual tone to pray for him, saying the communication with the family would remain snapped for some days.

Sensing something wrong, Mina Azmin talked to the wife of another crewmember aboard the ship when she came to know about the attack of Somali pirates on the vessel.

In the meantime, Atik’s brother-in-law Adib Rahman Khan, who is also a marine engineer and now staying in China, informed them of the matter on the phone.

Mina fainted several times after hearing the news and needed to be taken to hospital for treatment.

Five minutes after Iftar on Tuesday, Atik made a phone call, which her daughter attended.

He asked the daughter to tell her mother to pray for them. Then he sent a 24-second voice message.

“Convey this message to everyone. Mobiles are being taken away from us. The final thing is that if money is not given, we’ll be killed one by one. We’ll be released as soon as the money is given to them. Spread this message everywhere,” Atik said in an emotion-choked voice.

The Bangladeshi vessel was hijacked with 23 Bangladeshi crewmembers aboard by armed Somali pirates in the Indian Ocean on Tuesday afternoon.

The bulk carrier of SR Shipping, a concern of Kabir Group, was on its way to Al Hamriyah Port in Dubai from Maputo Port in Mozambique. It was carrying some 58,000 tonnes of thermal coal.

Of the 23 crewmembers, 11 are from Chattogram and the rest are from different parts of the country.

Atik’s family members, including wife, three daughters, mother and younger brother, reside in a flat in the city’s Nandan Kanon area.

While talking to the Daily Sun at their residence on Wednesday, Atik’s sexagenarian mother Shahnoor Akter said they managed to contact her son after Iftar on Tuesday.

“Some 50 armed pirates kept them encircled in a cabin. They were being taken towards the Somali coast. It’ll take some two and a half days to reach the destination. He sought doa from all,” she said, breaking into tears.

Atik, who passed from the Bangladesh Marine Academy in 2008, joined this ship in December last. Fourth among five siblings, he was supposed to return home in May.

His mother sought Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s intervention to bring back all the captive crewmembers unhurt.

His other brother-in-law banker Azizul Hoque said the relatives of the captive crewmembers went to the office of SR Shipping, which owns the ship, in the city’s Agrabad area on Wednesday morning.

The authorities assured them of taking steps to ensure a safe return of the crewmembers and urged all to have patience as it will take some time, he said.

Relatives of some 10 crewmembers gathered at the office of the company with some of them breaking into tears and urging the authorities and the government to take prompt action to rescue the crewmembers.

General Steward Noor Uddin’s wife Jannatul Ferdous also rushed to the office from their village home in Karnaphuli upazila in the district.

She told reporters that she last talked to her husband on Tuesday evening.

There were some 50 armed pirates on the vessel at that time and the vessel was being taken towards the Somali coast, she said, quoting her husband.

Later, Noor Uddin sent an audio message, saying they will be killed if the ransom is not given to the pirates, Jannatul said. “We don’t want money or job. We want all the crewmembers back unharmed,” she said, failing to hold back tears.

Fourth Officer Tanvir Ahmed’s mother Josna Begum said her son made the last call around 8pm on Tuesday and called for making arrangements for rescuing them as early as possible.

“They [pirates] are taking away our mobile phones. We’re yet to take Iftar. Please pray for all of us,” Tanvir told her mother on the phone.

The worried relatives of other crewmembers also demanded a safe return of their loved ones by any means.