Bangladesh Shipping Corporation (BSC) vessel "MV Banglar Joyjatra" which was stuck in the Persian Gulf for 115 days has safely crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday morning after prolonged disruption caused by heightened geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.
All crew members are reported safe and in good health.
The state-owned 38,894 DWT bulk carrier carrying 31 Bangladeshi crew members is now proceeding towards the waters of Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, for safe bunkering and completion of clearance procedures, according to the Ministry of Shipping..
The vessel entered Middle Eastern waters on January 26 under a Singapore-based charter and initially carried 39,000 tonnes of steel coils from Qatar's Mesaieed port to Jebel Ali in the UAE.
The regional military conflict that erupted on February 28 disrupted operations, placing the cargo discharge process at risk, it said.
Despite the challenging conditions, the cargo was successfully discharged at Jebel Ali on March 11, the statement reads.
Earlier, Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman has urged Iran to facilitate the safe passage for the Bangladesh-flagged vessel "Banglar Joyjatra" through the Strait of Hormuz, amid heightened tensions in the Gulf region.
The request was made during a meeting between Dr Rahman and Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Turkiye.
Following the discharge, the vessel remained unable to transit the Strait of Hormuz due to continued hostilities.
To ensure operational continuity and avoid off-hire losses, BSC management later directed the vessel to Saudi Arabia's Ras Al Khair port, where it loaded about 37,000 metric tonnes of fertiliser for onward voyage to Cape Town and Durban in South Africa.
The press release said the vessel did not go off-hire even for a single day during the period, maintaining continuous charter earnings under a commercial plan adopted by the management.
However, after loading fertiliser, the ship again became unable to exit the region due to instability in the Strait of Hormuz.
On April 18, Iran's navy reportedly denied transit permission for the vessel on security grounds, leaving it stranded in the region for an extended period.
Additional welfare measures, including special meal allowances, Eid bonuses and war-risk wages, were also provided to maintain morale.
BSC expressed gratitude to the Prime Minister, the Ministry of Shipping, senior officials, management and the vessel's crew for their roles in successfully handling the situation.
