Staff Reporter:
For the third time, Bangladeshi vessel “Banglar Joyjatra” has been prevented from crossing the Strait of Hormuz after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) reportedly refused to grant permission.
As a result, the ship has returned to the territorial waters of the United Arab Emirates.
Confirming the matter, the vessel’s Chief Engineer Rashedul Hasan told Daily Sun that the crew lifted anchor on Friday night after Iran announced the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
“We began our journey after the announcement, but had to turn back because permission from the IRGC was not granted,” he said.
Earlier on Friday evening, Iran declared that the Strait of Hormuz had been reopened. Following the announcement, Banglar Joyjatra entered the strait at 11:50pm. However, shortly after entering the route, Iranian forces reportedly sent a radio message instructing the vessel to return to the Persian Gulf.
According to data from ship-tracking platform MarineTraffic, the Bangladeshi ship was positioned around noon near the Al Darah coastal border crossing between the UAE and Oman. It had started its journey toward Hormuz from nearly the same location on Friday night.
The restrictions are not being applied only to the Bangladeshi vessel. Ship-tracking data suggests that traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains highly limited, while international maritime trade groups continue to remain cautious and assess the safety of the route.
The vessel, operated by Bangladesh Shipping Corporation (BSC), has been in the Persian Gulf since 2 February, transporting cargo between ports in the region.
BSC had earlier decided on 11 March to bring the vessel back, but it was unable to cross the strait due to lack of permission.
After failing to secure clearance, the ship was loaded with around 37,000 tonnes of fertiliser from the Saudi port of Ras Al Khair for delivery to Cape Town, South Africa.
Following the start of a ceasefire, the vessel again sought permission to cross the strait for a second time but was unsuccessful. It had since remained anchored near Hormuz in the Persian Gulf.
On Friday, the ship made a third attempt to pass through the strategic waterway, but was once again forced to turn back.
