Bangladeshi ship sails through Hormuz as ceasefire holds
A two-week ceasefire in the Middle East has given relief to global shipping, allowing vessels to move again through the strategically important Strait of Hormuz, which had been blocked due to rising tensions.
The Bangladesh-flagged ship MV Banglar Joyjatra, which had been stuck in the Persian Gulf, has now lifted anchor and started its journey through the strait, sources said.
The ship, owned by the Bangladesh Shipping Corporation (BSC), carries 31 Bangladeshi crew members.
According to MarineTraffic, the vessel left Ras Al Khair port in Saudi Arabia and was seen near the outer anchorage of Dammam port, moving at around 8.3 knots with a draft of 10.8 metres.
Chief Engineer Rashedul Hasan said the ship had loaded about 37,000 tonnes of fertiliser at Ras Al Khair.
After crossing the Strait of Hormuz, it will continue on to Cape Town, South Africa. The vessel is currently about 400–425 nautical miles from the strait and is expected to take roughly 38 to 40 hours to pass through.
The journey has been difficult. The ship entered the Persian Gulf on 2 February from India, then transported steel coils from Qatar to Jebel Ali port in the UAE, arriving on 27 February.
The next day, military strikes in Iran escalated the conflict, leaving the vessel stranded.
After unloading cargo on 11 March, the ship was scheduled to head to Kuwait for further loading.
However, due to the ongoing conflict, BSC decided to withdraw the vessel from the high-risk area.
An earlier attempt to move towards the Strait of Hormuz had been halted for safety reasons.
The current ceasefire has reopened a narrow window for safe passage, offering relief to Bangladesh and other South Asian countries that rely on oil shipments through this route.
Shipping analysts say the ceasefire temporarily stabilises movement, but the region remains unpredictable.
For Bangladesh, the safe transit of MV Banglar Joyjatra is a significant step, providing hope that maritime operations can continue despite the regional conflict.
