The Bangladeshi ship anchored near Hormuz without permission to cross

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After the start of the Iran war, the Bangladeshi flag ship MV Bangla was stranded in the Persian Gulf inside the Strait of Hormuz. The ship, which has been stuck since the Iran-US ceasefire, set sail for the Hormuz crossing early Wednesday morning. However, on Thursday night, the sailors of the ship did not ask the Iranian forces for permission to cross the Strait of Hormuz.

The sailors said that the ship was anchored near the Strait of Hormuz without permission. The ship owned by Bangladesh Shipping Corporation (BSC) has 31 sailors from Bangladesh.

The chief engineer of the ship, Rashedul Hasan, told Prothom Alo today at 3:00 PM, “After reaching 60 nautical miles from Hormuz on Thursday night, we are asking for permission from the Iranian forces in a radio message. They didn’t allow it. After not getting permission, I anchored 30 nautical miles ahead, so that the Strait of Hormuz could be crossed in three to three and a half hours if permission was given.’

Rashedul Hasan said, “The place where the anchor was dropped is the international waters of the Persian Gulf. There are many ships close to us, all waiting for safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz.’

A number of vessels have been plying the strait since Wednesday after the cease-fire, according to the website of shipping watchdog Marine Traffic. However, Israel attacked Lebanon even after the ceasefire agreement. Iran then further controlled shipping through the strait.

The BSC ship has been in the Persian Gulf since April 2. It was engaged in transporting goods from one port to another. BSC decided to bring the ship back on March 11. However, Hormuz could not be crossed without getting permission from Seva.

About 37,000 tons of fertilizer were loaded on the ship from Ras Al Khair port in Saudi Arabia without permission. This fertilizer will be taken at Cape Town port in South Africa. However, the ship did not get permission in the second round after the ceasefire.