Bangladeshi hostages in Somalia return home.
Bangladeshi hostages in Somalia return home.
Aljazeera, 12 Jun 2014
URL: http://goo.gl/iA4bD2
Seven Bangladeshi sailors, held hostage by Somali pirates for almost four years, have returned home, comparing their experience to "hell".
The sailors, who had been held in dire conditions and suffered beatings, flew into the Bangladeshi capital on Thursday after lengthy negotiations to free them.
"Every day in captivity was like hell. We were not given proper food. They used to torture us on almost every day for ransom," Abul Kashem, one of sailors, told reporters at Dhaka airport.
Although Bangladesh said the sailors were freed, other officials have contradicted the claim, saying they were among 11 sailors mostly from Asia who escaped last week and were taken to safety in Kenya.
The group "sneaked out a window" to escape their captors, before being rescued by local security forces, a British mediator who helped secure their freedom said last week.
The sailors, who had been held in dire conditions and suffered beatings, flew into the Bangladeshi capital on Thursday after lengthy negotiations to free them.
"Every day in captivity was like hell. We were not given proper food. They used to torture us on almost every day for ransom," Abul Kashem, one of sailors, told reporters at Dhaka airport.
Although Bangladesh said the sailors were freed, other officials have contradicted the claim, saying they were among 11 sailors mostly from Asia who escaped last week and were taken to safety in Kenya.
The group "sneaked out a window" to escape their captors, before being rescued by local security forces, a British mediator who helped secure their freedom said last week.