Stranded Bangladeshi ship heads for Strait of Hormuz

Bangladesh Shipping Corporation (BSC)-owned Bangladeshi-flagged vessel MV Banglar Joyjatra, which was stranded in the Persian Gulf, has lifted anchor from Ras Al Khair port in Saudi Arabia to proceed toward the Strait of Hormuz.

The ship is carrying 37,000 tons of fertilizer and has 31 Bangladeshi sailors on board.

Bangladesh Shipping Corporation Managing Director (MD) Commodore Mahmudul Malek shared this information with journalists at a press briefing on Wednesday afternoon.

He stated that the unloading of goods from the ship was completed at Jebel Ali Port on March 11. The ship was scheduled to load new cargo at a port in Kuwait.

However, due to ongoing conflict in the Middle East, BSC decided to prioritize the safety of the ship and its crew and return it from the high-risk area.

Accordingly, the vessel began its journey toward the Strait of Hormuz. On March 12, the ship reached approximately 66 nautical miles from the entrance to the strait.

At that point, the sailors received reports of a missile attack in the Strait of Hormuz region. Subsequently, the United Arab Emirates Coast Guard instructed the ship to move to a safer location instead of crossing the strait for security reasons. The vessel then returned to Jebel Ali Port.

Commodore Mahmudul Malek further explained that the ship arrived at Ras Al Khair Port in Saudi Arabia three days ago, where it loaded 37,000 tons of fertilizer and anchored at the outer anchorage of Dammam Port.

Following the ceasefire, Iran guaranteed the safety of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz for the next two weeks, allowing the ship to depart from Dammam and resume its journey toward the strait.

The BSC Managing Director added that the ship will first reach a secure location and will cross the Strait of Hormuz only after assessing the situation and receiving further instructions from BSC.

The vessel’s initial possible destinations are South Africa, Mozambique and Brazil. Once the final destination is confirmed, the ship will proceed accordingly.

Meanwhile, another vessel, the oil tanker Nordic Pollux, has been stranded at Ras Tanura port in Saudi Arabia since March 3.

The ship carries 100,000 tons of crude oil valued at approximately Tk 6 billion for Bangladesh. No final decision has yet been made regarding the departure of this tanker.

In this context, Commodore Mahmudul Malek said, “We have not yet received clearance for any ship to cross. However, it will take 38-40 hours to reach the mouth of the Strait of Hormuz. For this reason, Banglar Joyjatra has started its journey. We are trying to obtain clearance within this time frame.”

He also stated, “No decision has been made yet regarding the Nordic Pollux. It is a vessel owned by a US company and will start its journey as soon as clearance is obtained. It will also take approximately 40 hours for this ship to reach the mouth of the Strait of Hormuz.”

Earlier, following the outbreak of Russia-Ukraine war, the Bangladeshi ship Banglar Samriddhi was struck by a Russian missile at the port of Olbia in Ukraine on March 2, 2022.

The attack resulted in death of the ship’s engineer, Hadisur Rahman. Later, 28 Bangladeshi sailors who were trapped on the vessel were safely rescued.