‘MV Banglar Joyjatra’ crosses the Strait of Hormuz

A state-owned cargo ship ‘MV Banglar Joyjatra’ of Bangladesh Shipping Corporation (BSC) has faced an extremely critical situation. After a long standoff, the ship crossed the strategically important and internationally risky Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday (June 23).

Built in 2018, this 38,894 DWT bulk carrier ship is currently successfully moving towards the waters of Fujairah Port in the United Arab Emirates to complete safe bunkering and necessary clearance procedures. The 31 crew members working on the ship are all Bangladeshi citizens.

The ship ‘MV Banglar Joyjatra’ entered the waters of the Middle East on January 26 under a renowned Singapore-based charter. Initially, the ship loaded 39,000 tons of steel coils from Mesaieed Port in Qatar to Jebel Ali Port in the United Arab Emirates. However, while the ship was at Jebel Ali Port, intense regional military conflict and war broke out in the region on February 28. As a result, the ship's cargo unloading process was severely threatened, but the steel coil cargo was successfully unloaded at Jebel Ali Port on March 11, with great courage, amidst severe adversity and war-related risks.

After the cargo unloading was completed, the ship's ability to cross the Strait of Hormuz became uncertain due to the war situation. In such a situation, the BSC management adopted a far-sighted commercial plan so that the ship would not sit idle and the charterer's 'hire' or daily rent would not be disrupted in any way. According to the new commercial plan, the ship was sent to Ras Al Khair Port in Saudi Arabia and from there, loaded with about 37,000 metric tons of fertilizer, it departed for Cape Town and Durban ports in South Africa.

But after loading the fertilizer, the ship could not leave the Strait of Hormuz due to the intense instability and war situation. At one point in the long stalemate, on April 18, the Iranian Navy officially refused permission for the ship to transit or cross the Strait of Hormuz, citing security and strategic reasons. As a result, the BSC commercial ship was trapped in an unprecedented blockade situation for a long time in this sensitive war zone of the Persian Gulf region and waited with great courage.