The 28 Bangladeshi mariners, who were stranded onboard the MV Samriddhi in Ukraine, have started their journey back to Bangladesh.
The sailors, including two female cadets, left the shelter-house in Ukraine on Saturday afternoon Bangladesh time, the Bangladesh Merchant Marine Officers’ Association (BMMOA) said, reports bdnews24.com.
“We have contacted the sailors in Ukraine. They said they are on their way to Bangladesh,” MMOA General Secretary Md Shakhawat Hossian said.
“The current location of the sailors will not be disclosed for security reasons. We would like to request everyone to maintain their privacy until they return home.”
The Bangladesh embassy in Poland is looking after the sailors as the country does not have an embassy in Ukraine.
Sultana Laila Hossain, the Bangladesh ambassador in Poland, declined comment on the matter, citing security reasons.
The sailors left the MV Banglar Samriddhi, the damaged ship owned by the state-run Bangladesh Shipping Corporation or BSC, on Thursday, carrying the body of Hadisur Rahman, the ship’s third engineer who died after a projectile hit the ship and exploded on Wednesday.
The sailors declared the ship abandoned before seeking shelter in bunkers at the port of Olvia.
They were in the bunkers until Friday, Laila Hossain said.
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam had previously said the authorities were trying to send the 28 Bangladeshi sailors to the Polish capital, but later changed their mind due to the changing situation of the war in Ukraine.
