Stranded near Hormuz amid war, Bangladeshi sailors offer Eid prayers aboard ship
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In the midst of the roar of distant missiles and the uncertainty of war, 31 Bangladeshi sailors aboard the MV Banglar Joyjatra have marked Eid by praying in the narrow passages of their ship.
Anchored off the Sharjah, with their journey to the Strait of Hormuz stalled, the crew spent the festival under a heavy veil of anxiety, yet sought solace in prayer and tradition.
The crew could not gather on deck due to adverse weather on Friday, instead, they performed the Eid congregation inside the vessel.
The vessel, waiting to cross the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, has dropped anchor 80 nautical miles (approximately 150km) from Sharjah Port amid fears of attack.
Captain Shafiqul Islam told bdnews24.com, “We all offered Eid prayers together. It rained this morning, so it wasn’t possible to pray on the deck.”
“A total of 29 Muslim sailors and crew prayed in the passage. We arranged special meals for Eid and later took photos together.”
He added, “We prayed during the Eid congregation for a quick end to this situation.”
Photos shared by the crew show many dressed in traditional panjabi, posing on the deck and inside the control room despite the tense circumstances.
Even as they observed Eid, the sailors remained in touch with worried family members back home, the captain said.
The vessel has been waiting in Sharjah’s waters for nine days for its next destination.
“In such a situation, maintaining morale is our main task.”
He noted that seafaring life demands endurance: “Our profession is always difficult. We stay at sea for long periods, and we are trained to cope -- even in wartime conditions.”
Banglar Joyjatra had arrived at Dubai’s Jebel Ali port on Feb 26 from Qatar’s Mesaieed port carrying 38,800 tonnes of steel coils.
It docked at Terminal 10 the following day, but unloading was delayed due to US and Israeli strikes on Iran.
A day after berthing, a missile struck an oil reservoir just 200m from the ship, sparking a fire and raising serious safety concerns for the 31 crew members. Cargo unloading began days later.
Though initially scheduled to return to Qatar, the chartering company reassigned the vessel to Mumbai. It set course for the Strait of Hormuz, but UAE coast guards halted its journey due to security risks.
The ship was redirected and remains anchored offshore.
“We were not supposed to spend Eid on the ship this year,” the captain said.
“But because of the war, we are stuck off Sharjah and had to celebrate Eid here.”