‘Missile strike fears’ force MV Banglar Joyjatra to shift position in Gulf waters

The Bangladesh Shipping Corporation (BSC) vessel MV Banglar Joyjatra has shifted its position in Gulf waters amid fears of a possible missile strike, as tensions in West Asia continue to ripple through key maritime routes.

The state-owned ship, which had been unable to cross the Strait of Hormuz during a fragile ceasefire period, has moved out of the Mina Saqr Port region in the United Arab Emirates and is now anchored in deep sea, 23 nautical miles (around 42km) from Dubai port.

On Tuesday, the ship’s captain Md Shafiqul Islam said that the repositioning followed a warning from the Iranian Sepah Navy.

“After receiving a warning from the Iranian Sepah Navy, we changed the ship’s position. MV Banglar Joyjatra is now anchored 43 nautical miles (79.6km) from the Iranian side of the Hormuz boundary,” he said.

He added that the vessel had earlier moved to Sharjah from Mina Saqr to collect drinking water supplies. Following the alert, the ship’s position was changed on Monday afternoon.

The vessel is now anchored in the Persian Gulf, 23 nautical miles from Dubai and 21 nautical miles (almost 39km) from Sharjah.

BSC Managing Director Commodore Mahmudul Malek said the ship had moved away from Iranian territorial proximity following the warning. He confirmed that the ship has sufficient water, fuel, and food supplies.

The ship entered West Asian waters on Jan 26 and has since operated across multiple regional ports.

On Feb 26, it arrived at the outer anchorage of Jebel Ali Port in Dubai carrying 38,800 tonnes of steel coils from Qatar’s Mesaieed Port. It berthed at Terminal 10 the following day.

However, unloading was delayed after attacks on Iranian targets by the United States and Israel began on Feb 28.

A missile strike on an oil reservoir 200m from the vessel triggered a fire, heightening security concerns for its 31 Bangladeshi crew members.

Within days, cargo unloading resumed, but plans to return to Qatar were cancelled due to the worsening situation.

A subsequent voyage to Mumbai also required transit through the Strait of Hormuz, but escalating tensions effectively disrupted commercial shipping through the critical waterway.

The vessel, operating under a Singapore-based charter, is carrying around 37,000 tonnes of fertiliser and was originally expected to continue onward voyages after clearing its Gulf deliveries.

Earlier, the ship had twice failed to transit the Strait of Hormuz amid restrictions and security risks, leaving it stranded for weeks in waters near Mina Saqr.

Following reported drone strikes on key UAE oil infrastructure in Fujairah and subsequent warnings from Iranian naval authorities advising vessels near Hormuz to move away, maritime risk levels in the region have remained elevated.

Captain Shafiqul said the ship is now positioned safely away from high-risk zones.

“We are currently 74 nautical miles (137km) away from the Hormuz boundary,” he said, referring to updated positioning data.

The vessel remains under close monitoring as regional tensions continue to threaten shipping routes through one of the world’s most strategic maritime chokepoints.