Even after the announcement of a ceasefire in the Middle East, the ship of Bangladesh Shipping Corporation was not allowed to cross the ‘Bangla Jaijatra’ as the strategically important Hormuz strand continued. The ship is heading back to the port of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates.
According to the company’s officials, the ship left for the train from the port of Ras al-Khair in Saudi Arabia after being stuck for about 40 days. After a long voyage, the Iranian authorities asked for permission to cross the border, but it was rejected.
Commodore Mahmudul Maleque, managing director of Bangladesh Shipping Corporation, said permission was sought as per the prescribed protocol, but it was not due to the current control system. The ship has been ordered to return for security reasons and efforts are continuing to obtain diplomatic permission.
There are 31 sailors on the ship and there is food and water storage for them, authorities said. The use of water is being kept under control in the management of limited resources, as well as additional allowances and food allocations have been increased to maintain the morale of the sailors.
According to BSC sources, ‘Bangla’s ‘Joyatra’ entered the Persian Gulf with goods from India at the beginning of February and later arrived in the United Arab Emirates with cargo from Qatar. But after the conflict between the United States and Israel, the security situation in the region deteriorated rapidly, disrupting the ship’s normal route.
According to analysts, despite the ceasefire, international shipping is still at risk due to the intimidation of regulation and security restrictions in the Strait of Hormuz, which could affect global trade and energy supply.