Bangladeshi ship sets sail to cross Strait of Hormuz after ceasefire

Bangladeshi-flagged vessel MV Banglar Joyjatra had been stranded in the Persian Gulf within the Strait of Hormuz due to the outbreak of war in Iran.

However, following a ceasefire, the ship weighed anchor to cross the strait early Wednesday. The vessel, owned by Bangladesh Shipping Corporation (BSC), carries 31 Bangladeshi sailors.

According to the MarineTraffic website, as of 12:00 pm, the ship had departed from Ras Al Khair port in Saudi Arabia and was positioned off the outer anchorage of Dammam port, moving at a speed of 8.3 knots. The ship’s draft measures 10.8 metres.

Rashedul Hasan, Chief Engineer of the vessel, told Prothom Alo around 12:00 pm on Wednesday, “We were off the outer anchorage of Dammam port, loaded with approximately 37,000 tonnes of fertiliser from Ras Al Khair port. Following the ceasefire, we have weighed anchor and are heading toward Hormuz. After passing Hormuz, the ship will proceed to Cape Town port in South Africa.”

He added that the vessel was 425 nautical miles from Hormuz during the time of this conversation and that it might take at least another two days (around 40 hours) to cross the strait.

BSC sources stated that the Banglar Joyjatra entered the Persian Gulf via the Hormuz Strait on 2 February, carrying goods from India. It then transported steel coils from a Qatari port to Jebel Ali port in the United Arab Emirates on 27 February. The following day, the United States and Israel launched attacks in Iran, prompting retaliatory strikes by Iran across multiple locations in the Middle East, rapidly escalating the conflict.

The BSC officials said that cargo unloading at Jebel Ali port was completed on 11 March, with plans to load new goods at a port in Kuwait. However, due to ongoing conflict in the region, BSC decided to return the vessel to a safer location. After the ceasefire, the ship has now resumed its journey toward the Hormuz Strait.