Bangladeshi ship heads for Strait of Hormuz after 39-day wait
Bangladesh’s national flag carrier, MV Banglar Joyjatra, sailed towards the Strait of Hormuz this noon—after being stranded in the Persian Gulf for 39 days—aiming to cross the route during the two-week ceasefire agreed between the US and Iran.
Bangladesh Shipping Corporation (BSC) Managing Director Commodore Mahmudul Malek confirmed the development at a press conference in Chattogram today.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. A total of 31 Bangladeshi crew members are on board the vessel, which had been stranded in the Persian Gulf since the war began on February 28.
Malek said the ship went to Saudi port Ras Al-Khair three days ago and, after loading fertiliser, remained anchored at the outer anchorage of Dammam Port.
As Iran announced it would guarantee safe passage for maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz for two weeks following the ceasefire, the vessel left the anchorage and is now heading towards the Strait, he said.
The ship will first reach a safe location and will cross the Strait once BSC gives further instructions after monitoring the situation, Malek added.
The vessel is carrying 37,000 tonnes of fertiliser.
When contacted via WhatsApp, the ship’s chief engineer, Rashedul Hasan, told The Daily Star that they lifted anchor around 9:00am local time (12:00pm Bangladesh time) after receiving instructions from BSC.
“We are now heading towards the Strait of Hormuz at a speed of 12 nautical miles per hour,” he said.
The chief engineer added that the vessel is about 420 nautical miles away from the Strait and, at the current speed, it will take around 40 hours to reach and cross it.
The BSC managing director said the ship’s charterer has initially set three possible destinations: South Africa, Mozambique, and Brazil. Once the destination is finalised, the vessel will proceed accordingly, he said.
The bulk carrier arrived at the United Arab Emirates port of Jebel Ali on February 27 from Mesaieed, Qatar, carrying 38,800 tonnes of steel coils before becoming stranded.
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