Staff Reporter:
The Bangladesh-flagged vessel MV Banglar Joyjatra, which has remained stranded in the Persian Gulf amid the ongoing Iran war, is now set to cross the Strait of Hormuz after loading fertiliser from a Saudi Arabian port.
As part of the plan, the ship departed from the outer anchorage of Sharjah port last night and is currently heading towards Ras Al Khair port in Saudi Arabia. Upon arrival on Friday, fertiliser loading operations are expected to begin.
BSC Managing Director Commodore Mahmudul Malek confirmed the development to Daily Sun, saying, “The chartering company has decided to load fertiliser from Ras Al Khair port in Saudi Arabia. The loading process will take around five days. After that, the vessel will proceed to cross the Strait of Hormuz. We have already sought permission from Iran, and once it is granted, the ship will set sail.”
He further noted that the chartering company has tentatively identified three possible destinations for the vessel – South Africa, Mozambique, or Brazil- though no final decision has been made yet.
The vessel entered Middle Eastern waters on 26 January and had since been transporting cargo between regional ports. On 26 February, it arrived at the outer anchorage of Jebel Ali port in Dubai carrying 38,800 tonnes of steel coils from Mesaieed port in Qatar.
However, following the outbreak of hostilities on 28 February, the vessel became stranded at Jebel Ali. A day later, a missile struck an oil reservoir just 100 metres from the ship, heightening safety concerns.
Since then, MV Banglar Joyjatra has remained stuck in the Persian Gulf. With Iran recently indicating that six stranded Bangladeshi vessels may be allowed to transit through the Strait of Hormuz, the chartering company has now moved to redirect the ship to a new destination.
