Somali pirates, who hijacked the Bangladeshi ship MV Abdullah in the Indian Ocean, contacted its owner Kabir Group on Wednesday.
"For the first time, pirates contacted us today. From now on, the matter of freeing the hostages and rescuing the ship will proceed," the group's media advisor Mizanur Islam told Jago News.
"No discussion was held about ransom yet. Communication has just started and the matter is very sensitive," he said.
Somali pirates hijacked the Bangladeshi vessel MV Abdullah in the Indian Ocean on March 12 and held 23 Bangladeshi nationals on board hostage.
At that time, the ship was heading to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from Mozambique
Earlier in March of 2011, another Bangladeshi-flagged ship named MV Zahan Moni was captured by Somali pirates with 26 Bangladeshis on board, and it was freed after three months.
MSU