Zakir Hossain from Dhaka
Bangladeshi vessel Banglar Joyjatra has been denied permission to cross the Strait of Hormuz for the third time, reportedly after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) refused clearance, forcing it to return to UAE territorial waters.
Confirming the development, the ship’s chief engineer Rashedul Hasan told journalists that the crew lifted anchor on Friday night after Iran announced the reopening of the strait. “We began our journey after the announcement, but had to turn back because permission from the IRGC was not granted,” he said.
Iran had declared on Friday evening that the Strait of Hormuz was 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 ship-tracking platform MarineTraffic, the vessel was located around noon near the Al Darah coastal border crossing between the UAE and Oman. It had set out for Hormuz from nearly the same spot on Friday night.
The restrictions are not limited to the Bangladeshi ship. Ship-tracking data showed traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remained highly limited, while international maritime trade groups continued to act cautiously and assess the route’s safety.
Operated by Bangladesh Shipping Corporation (BSC), the vessel has been in the Persian Gulf since February 2, carrying cargo between ports in the region. BSC had decided on March 11 to bring the ship back, but it could not cross the strait because permission was not granted.
After failing to secure clearance, the vessel was loaded with around 37,000 tonnes of fertiliser at Saudi Arabia’s Ras Al Khair port for delivery to Cape Town, South Africa. Following the start of a ceasefire, it made a second attempt to cross the strait, but failed again, and 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.