Bangladeshi ship denied passage thru Hormuz

Bangladesh Shipping Corporation’s vessel -- Banglar Joyjatra -- has failed to cross the Strait of Hormuz due to the Iranian authorities’ refusal to grant transit permission.

After being stranded in the Persian Gulf for nearly 40 days due to the US-Israel war on Iran, the ship left the outer anchorage of the Saudi port of Dammam on Wednesday morning following the ceasefire.

However, it was denied permission when it contacted the Iranian authorities upon reaching near the strait on Thursday night, said BSC Managing Director Commodore Mahmudul Malek.

He said the ship would now wait in a safer location.

Malek added that the government would attempt to secure safe passage through diplomatic channels and expressed hope that transit clearance could be obtained by tomorrow or the following day.

The vessel has 31 Bangladeshi crew members on board. It travelled to the UAE on February 27, carrying steel coils from a Qatar port and remained stuck in the Gulf due to the war.

Speaking over the phone, Rashedul Alam, chief engineer of Banglar Joyjatra, told The Daily Star yesterday that the vessel reached around 60 nautical miles from the strait about 10:00pm (local time) on Thursday.

He added that they attempted twice to communicate with Iranian authorities via VHF radio but failed.

On the third attempt, communication was established, and permission for passage was requested, but the Iranian authorities denied clearance.

The vessel subsequently sailed towards the Minasakar anchorage in the UAE, where it anchored around 3:00am local time, Rashedul said.

He added that the vessel is now stationed at an anchorage roughly 20 nautical miles from the Strait of Hormuz.