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Published : 10 Apr 2026, 07:05 PM
A Bangladesh Shipping Corporation (BSC) vessel, MV Banglar Joyjatra, remains stuck near the Strait of Hormuz after failing to receive clearance from Iranian authorities to pass through the strategic waterway, even after a ceasefire was announced in Iran.
The ship had set sail two days earlier from Saudi Arabia’s Port of Ras Al Khair, but upon reaching close to Hormuz, it was forced to suspend its journey and anchor outside the waters of Port of Mina Saqr in the United Arab Emirates.
The vessel is carrying 31 Bangladeshi crew members.
Ship Captain Shafiqul Islam told BSS on Friday afternoon that the vessel was currently positioned outside UAE territorial waters.
The vessel departed Ras Al Khair Port on Wednesday morning Bangladesh time after the ceasefire began.
It is carrying 37,000 tonnes of fertiliser, destined for Cape Town and Durban in South Africa.
On Thursday night, around 10pm local time, the ship reached about 60 nautical miles, roughly 111km, from the Strait of Hormuz.
However, lacking permission from Iranian authorities, it was diverted towards Mina Saqr Port and anchored nearby.
Chief Engineer Md Rashidul Hasan said the crew attempted to cross the strait late Thursday night but did not receive clearance from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
“We did not receive clearance from the IRGC to cross Hormuz,” he said.
“For security reasons, we decided to stay near Mina Saqr. We dropped anchor around 5:30am Bangladesh time on Friday.”
He said the situation had created fresh uncertainty for the crew.
“Even though the ceasefire is in place, we do not know why our vessel has not been allowed to cross Hormuz.”
Hasan added that the ship would remain in UAE waters until clearance was granted.
“Once permission is received, we will sail again towards Hormuz,” he said.
The vessel had been expected to resupply food, water and fuel from Sharjah after passing through the strait.
Despite the uncertainty, the chief engineer said the crew was prepared for difficult conditions at sea.
“Although uncertainty has arisen, we sailors are ready to adapt to any situation,” he said. “We are mentally prepared for long stays at sea and even wartime-like conditions.”
He confirmed that sufficient food, water and fuel were available onboard.
MV Banglar Joyjatra entered Middle Eastern waters on Jan 26 and has since called at several regional ports.
On Feb 26, it arrived at Dubai’s Jebel Ali outer anchorage carrying 38,800 tonnes of steel coils from Qatar’s Mesaieed Port and berthed the following day at Terminal 10.
On Feb 28, after US and Israeli strikes on Iran began, cargo unloading was delayed.
A day later, a missile strike hit an oil reservoir just 200m from the ship, sparking a fire and raising safety concerns among the 31 Bangladeshi sailors.
Although unloading later resumed, the ship’s planned return to Qatar was cancelled due to the worsening situation.
The chartering company, Dava Singapore, then redirected it towards Mumbai, but UAE coast guard personnel instructed the vessel to move away from the high-risk zone.
Since then, the ship had remained in Sharjah waters before heading to Ras Al Khair.
Over the past two months in the Persian Gulf region, the crew has reportedly witnessed near-daily missile or drone activity from aboard the vessel.
