Bangladeshi vessel denied passage thru Strait of Hormuz

The Bangladeshi vessel, MV Banglar Joyjatra, has been denied to pass through Iran's Strait of Hormuz forcing the vessel to turn back toward Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). 

The denial made a fresh setback to efforts to bring home the ship and its 31-member crew stranded in the Persian Gulf for over 40 days.

According to Bangladesh Shipping Corporation (BSC) sources, the ship departed Saudi Arabia's Ras Al Khair port on Wednesday following a ceasefire in the Middle East conflict, heading toward the strategic strait after being stranded for approximately 40 days. 

After nearly 40 hours of continuous sailing, the vessel reached the vicinity of the strait on Friday morning and formally requested passage clearance from the Iranian government. Tehran, however, rejected the request, forcing the ship to reverse course toward Sharjah port.

BSC Managing Director Commodore Mahmudul Malek confirmed that the passage request was made in accordance with Iranian guidelines but was turned down. "Diplomatic efforts to secure permission are ongoing. The ship is currently positioned near the Strait of Hormuz and has been instructed to return to Sharjah given the circumstances," he said.

Commodore Malek assured that the 31 crew members aboard have adequate food supplies. While the vessel has the capacity to purify 18 tons of seawater daily, rationing has reduced actual water consumption to six tons per day to keep the engine running efficiently. To maintain crew morale during the prolonged ordeal, the daily food allowance per sailor has been increased from seven dollars to 12 dollars, and each crew member is receiving a war allowance equivalent to their basic salary.

The ship's troubles began when it entered the Persian Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz on February 2 carrying cargo from India. After loading steel coils from Qatar, it arrived at Jebel Ali port in the UAE on February 27. 

The following day, US and Israeli strikes on Iran triggered retaliatory attacks across the region, rapidly escalating into a wider conflict that trapped commercial vessels in the Gulf.

After completing cargo unloading at Jebel Ali on March 11, the BSC had planned to send the ship to a Kuwaiti port for a new consignment but instead decided to bring it home safely as hostilities intensified. An earlier attempt to navigate toward the strait was also abandoned due to security concerns before the latest failed bid following the ceasefire.