The pirates who had hijacked Bangladeshi ship MV Abdullah with 23 crew contacted the owners of the vessel for the first time after nine days on Wednesday.
Mizanul Islam, a media adviser of KSRM Group, said, "The pirates contacted us this afternoon but they did not demand anything."
"We have talked about the crew and the ship in general. Now the environment for discussion has been created. We hope that a solution will be found," he said.
"They informed us that all the crew members are safe and sound. There will be no torture on them. They will again contact us," he added.
Captain Anam Chowdhury, president of Bangladesh Merchant Marine Officers Association, said it is a positive sign that they have started communication.
"I hope the owners and insurers will negotiate with the pirates to reach an agreement," he added.
On March 12, a group of Somalian pirates seized control of the Bangladesh-flagged cargo vessel when it was carrying coal from Mozambique’s Maputo port to Al Hamriyah Port in the UAE.
MV Abdullah is owned by SR Shipping Lines – a sister company of Chattogram-based Kabir Steel and Rerolling Mill (KSRM) Group.