Dhaka, March 21 -- Somali pirates who seized the Bangladeshi-flagged MV Abdullah, with 23 crew members aboard, initiated contact with the vessel's owners, marking a pivotal development in the ongoing hostage situation.

Mehedul Karim, CEO of KSRM Group, confirmed the communication, saying, "The pirates have contacted us today (Wednesday) through a third party for the first time.

An environment for discussion is now being established. We are committed to securing the safe release of the hostages and will proceed accordingly."

The hijacking occurred on March 12th when pirates commandeered the Bangladesh-flagged ship MV Abdullah approximately 600 nautical miles off the coast of Somalia in the Indian Ocean.

Observers familiar with the situ...