Dhaka, April 6 -- Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud says that a lot of progress has been made in discussions with the pirates who have hijacked the MV Abdullah regarding the freeing of the sailors taken hostage.

The minister made the statement at the YNT Centre in Chattogram on Saturday in a discussion with journalists.

The families of the hostages have made an urgent appeal for their release before Eid. Asked how far discussions had progressed on their release, Mahmud said, "Our efforts are ongoing. We are working on all fronts. Discussions are ongoing with the hijackers and the sailors are fine."

"There is no problem with food. They are in their cabins. As the dialogue has progressed quite far, we hope that it will be possible to release...