A Bangladeshi-flagged ship headed from the African country of Mozambique to the United Arab Emirates has been captured by pirates in the Indian Ocean.

The vessel, named the MV Abdullah, had 23 Bangladeshi sailors on board and all of them have been taken hostage, according to the ship’s owners.

The ship is owned by the KSRM Group’s SR Shipping and runs freight.

The ship’s captain is Abdur Rashid.

A message was sent from the ship around 1:30pm on Tuesday Bangladesh time, said SR Shipping CEO Mohammad Meherul Karim.

“The pirates have taken control of the ship. Our sailors are being held hostage. We are trying to get more details.”

In December 2010, Somali pirates had hijacked the Bangladeshi vessel MV Jahan Moni in the Arabian Sea. They took 25 sailors and the wife of the nickel-bearing ship’s chief engineer hostage.

After repeated attempts, they were freed from the pirates after 100 days and brought back home.