After being stranded for more than three and a half months, the Bangladesh Shipping Corporation (BSC)-owned vessel MV Banglar Joyjatra has successfully crossed the Hormuz Strait. The passage occurred around 3 a.m. on Monday night, confirmed BSC Managing Director Commodore Mahmudul Malek. The ship, carrying 31 Bangladeshi sailors and crew, crossed the strait safely, as also confirmed by Additional Chief Officer Pronoy Saha through a message.

The vessel had been stuck in the Persian Gulf since February 28 due to the Iran-Israel conflict. Earlier, while unloading cargo at Jebel Ali Port in the United Arab Emirates, an Iranian missile struck nearby, narrowly missing the crew. The ship, built in 2018 with a capacity of 38,894 deadweight tons, was preparing to sail to South Africa with about 37,000 tons of fertilizer but repeatedly failed to depart due to lack of clearance to cross the strait.

Following multiple diplomatic and operational efforts by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Shipping, and BSC, the vessel succeeded on its fourth attempt and is now heading toward Fujairah Port in the UAE for bunkering and clearance procedures.