Pirates have anchored the Bangladesh-flagged ship MV Abdullah, along with its 23 sailors, to an area seven nautical miles off the Somali coast near Garacad, allowing them to remain in their own cabins.

According to Atiq Ullah Khan, chief officer of the ship, everyone was safe and sound, as confirmed over the phone to officials of the Kabir Group, its owner, on Thursday evening.

Initially confined to a room on the deck after capture, the crew remains unharmed despite additional armed pirates, numbering between 15 and 20, joining those who initially seized the ship.

Mizanul Islam, media advisor to the group, later confirmed the information, stating that efforts are underway to secure the release of both the crew and the vessel.

Despite the tense situation, crew members are carrying out all tasks aboard the ship while the pirates maintain vigilance with their weapons. However, they continue with their daily routines, including religious practices such as observing sehri and iftar, as well as congregational prayers on the ship's bridge.

Shakhawat Hossain, general secretary of the Bangladesh Merchant Marine Officers' Association, noted that the pirates had not yet established contact with the ship's owners or presented any demands.

MV Abdullah, transporting coal with its 23 crew members, was en route from Mozambique to the UAE when it was seized by pirates in the Indian Ocean on Tuesday.

This incident is reminiscent of a previous hijacking involving the same company's vessel, MV Jahan Moni, by Somali pirates in the Arabian Sea on December 5, 2010. Twenty-six individuals onboard were held captive for 100 days until their release on March 14, 2011.