Hormuz crisis leaves Bangladeshi mariners stranded, contracts expire at sea

Highlights:

• Bangladeshi mariner stranded after Iran-Israel conflict disrupts Strait navigation
• At least 75 Bangladeshi seafarers stuck across multiple vessels
• War halted ships, causing repeated failed Strait of Hormuz crossings
• Missile attacks hit vessels, killing crew and forcing rescues
• Expired contracts trap mariners amid visa restrictions, suspended flights
• Crews face fear, rationing, uncertainty awaiting diplomatic resolution

Zayed Hossain Rony, a Bangladeshi mariner, left home in October as a third engineer aboard the Chinese vessel MV Happy Forever on a five-month contract, carrying a simple promise. Leaving behind his pregnant wife, he planned to return by March, spend Eid at home, and be present when his child was born.

Instead, war came first. Inside the Strait of Hormuz, where sea lanes narrow into tension, his vessel was caught as the Iran-Israel conflict expanded. His contract has expired, but he remains stranded at sea, with no clear route home amid suspended flights and visa restrictions.

Rony is among at least 75 Bangladeshi seafarers stranded across vessels in the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman, with their return delayed by conflicts surrounding the Strait of Hormuz, disrupted maritime movement, visa restrictions in Gulf countries, port clearance issues and often contract conditions that prevent early relief before completion of service.

Between ports and peril 

The largest group of stranded Bangladeshi mariners remains aboard Banglar Joyjatra. The Bangladesh Shipping Corporation vessel carrying 31 sailors failed three separate attempts to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. It now waits near Mina Saqr, tangled in a diplomatic limbo. 

Another 25 are aboard Bashundhara LPG Challenger, anchored in the Gulf of Oman, where waiting has become its own kind of voyage.

15 more Bangladeshis serve aboard MV Forever Happy. Others remain isolated across MV Bahri Trader, MV Bahri Wafi, and MT Lucky Chem – the last is drifting near Sohar Port while awaiting clearance toward Iran. Two more vessels sit in Saudi Arabia's Dammam Port.

Fire on water

Caught in the war, some ships have already faced what others fear in silence. On 1 March, a day after fighting began, MKD Vyom was attacked 52 nautical miles off Muscat, Oman, triggering an engine room explosion and fire. One Indian crew member was killed. The Oman Coast Guard rescued 21 sailors, including four Bangladeshis, who returned home on 4 March.

Weeks later, MV Gold Autumn was struck by a missile in the Arabian Sea while sailing from Shanghai to Sohar. The Pakistan Navy rescued 18 crew members, including six Bangladeshis; five have since returned home. 

One Bangladeshi mariner remains onboard, not bound by contract alone but due to recovery constraints. 

Captain Anam Chowdhury, president of Bangladesh Merchant Marine Officers' Association (BMMOA), said he must stay until the vessel is towed by tugboats to a dockyard.

Between engine noise and silence

Speaking on 29 April to The Business Standard via WhatsApp, Rony said the Strait of Hormuz turned into a danger zone overnight. "One moment we were sailing, and the next, every direction felt like a trap."

Recalling Kuwait's Shuaiba Port, he said missiles and explosions came dangerously close. "Every sound felt final. Even survival began to feel accidental."

Although his contract has expired, he cannot return due to suspended flights and visa complications. "I've requested sign-off several times, but the company cannot move us safely," he said, adding the crew remains stranded in uncertainty.

At home, he said, "My son was born, and I am still learning how to meet him from a distance." His family in Noakhali remains anxious, with his father urging government diplomatic action to resolve visa barriers.

Meanwhile, Nazmul Hasan, the only Bangladeshi aboard MT Lucky Chem, said the vessel is stuck in the Gulf of Oman awaiting permission to proceed to Iran. "We are still in a risk zone. Nothing feels normal."

He said food supplies have not been replenished and rationing has begun, while water remains limited. Recalling Sohar Port, he said missiles and drones flew very close. "That fear still follows me. I don't know what fate holds."

Return in limbo 

Captain Anam Chowdhury said stranded mariners and their families remain in continuous contact with authorities. "They are physically well, but living under constant anxiety," he said, adding that return is unlikely until the Strait of Hormuz reopens and conditions stabilise.

On the 31 crew members aboard Banglar Joyjatra, Commodore Mahmudul Malek of Bangladesh Shipping Corporation said the vessel had crossed the Strait and was in a UAE port before the war began. It was later moved to a safer location after early tensions.

He said seafarers are trained for long periods at sea, and the corporation has ensured Starlink internet, adequate food and water, and "war wages" equivalent to basic pay. Diplomatic efforts are ongoing to move the vessel safely out of the region, with documents submitted through the Foreign Ministry following IRGC procedures.

MV Banglar Joyjatra had earlier lifted anchor from near Sharjah port and moved toward the Strait of Hormuz along with around 40 other commercial vessels after initial attempts to seek clearance from Iran's IRGC received no response, leading operators to assume the passage was open. 

However, as the convoy entered the strait, Iranian naval authorities later ordered all ships to halt, stating that no vessel would be allowed to cross without formal IRGC approval, effectively stopping Joyjatra mid-transit. 

Director General of Shipping Commodore Shafiul Bari said mariners cannot return before contract expiry unless a vessel is involved in an accident. He added that the UAE is not currently issuing visas to Bangladeshis, though return via third countries remains possible after contracts end.

On Oman visa issues, he said no formal complaint has been received, but diplomatic steps can be taken if affected crews or associations apply.