A Bangladesh Shipping Corporation vessel carrying 31 crew and about 37,000 tonnes of fertiliser transited the Strait of Hormuz on June 23, nearly ten weeks after Iran’s navy denied it permission to transit the waterway, the state-owned company said.

The MV Banglar Joyjatra, a 38,894 deadweight tonne bulk carrier built in 2018, was proceeding to Fujairah port in the United Arab Emirates for bunkering and bottom-cleaning operations after exiting the Persian Gulf, BSC said in a statement. All 31 Bangladeshi nationals aboard were safe, it said.

The ship entered Middle Eastern waters on January 26 under a Singapore-based charterer, discharging a cargo of steel coil at Jebel Ali on March 11 after a regional military conflict erupted on February 28. BSC then sent the vessel to Saudi Arabia’s Ras Al Khair port, where it loaded approximately 37,000 tonnes of fertiliser bound for Cape Town and Durban in South Africa. BSC said the ship incurred no off-hire days during the repositioning and did not lose any charter income during the period.

On April 18, Iran’s navy denied the Banglar Joyjatra permission to transit the strait, citing security and strategic considerations, leaving the vessel unable to leave the Persian Gulf region. BSC said the strait had become a sensitive choke point for global trade this year, with war-risk insurance premiums rising and commercial traffic restricted.

BSC said the crew received war wages, a daily $5 meal allowance and a special Eid bonus while awaiting clearance. The shipping ministry and senior BSC management tracked the vessel’s movements live via Marine Traffic during the transit and maintained regular video contact with the master, the statement added.

The shipping corporation described the operation as a case study in state-level crisis management and expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, Shipping Minister Shaikh Rabiul Alam, State Minister Md Razib Ahsan and ministry secretary Zakaria.