INTERVIEW

Trapped for 115 days, cargo ship captain recounts ordeal in Strait of Hormuz

In late January 2026, the Banglar Joyjatra, a Bangladeshi bulk carrier, entered the Persian Gulf on what should have been a routine commercial voyage before continuing to South Africa. Instead, Captain Mohammad Shafiqul Islam and his crew became trapped for 115 days as conflict engulfed the Strait of Hormuz. He told RFI how the voyage turned into a fight to get his ship and crew safely out.


Issued on: 29/08/2026 -  RFI

The Banglar Joyjatra, the Bangladeshi bulk carrier whose crew endured 115 days caught up in the Gulf conflict before finally escaping through the Strait of Hormuz in June 2026. © Bangladesh Shipping Corporation

On Saturday 31 January, Iran announced live-fire naval exercises simulating a complete blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. From the bridge of the Banglar Joyjatra, Islam watched as ships piled up at anchor and maritime traffic ground to a halt.

Two days later, the vessel crossed the strait. For Islam and his 31 crew members, however, the passage marked the beginning of an ordeal that would last nearly four months.

The vessel spent the following weeks loading and unloading cargo, including steel, at ports in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. On 26 February, it reached Jebel Ali in the UAE, the region’s main logistics hub and one of the world’s largest container ports.

War reaches Jebel Ali

“Up to that point, everything was going well,” Islam told RFI.

The Banglar Joyjatra was waiting to begin cargo-handling operations when war suddenly came frighteningly close.

“During the night of 28 February to 1 March, I heard a huge explosion. I went out in my pyjamas and saw a massive blaze – so big that it took six tugs 24 hours to put out the fire.”

An oil depot around 200 metres from the ship had been struck by an Iranian missile, hours after Israeli-US strikes against Iran began.

“Panic seized the crew,” Islam said. “Some wanted to leave the ship to take refuge in a hotel. At the time of the explosion, there were around 200 ships in the port area. Within a few days, the port had been deserted. There wasn’t a soul to be seen!”

The Banglar Joyjatra was also ordered to leave, but Islam refused.

“I disobeyed the order because, in the event of war, if I left the port area and was hit by a missile, no one would come to my rescue.”

His company and the Bangladeshi government later authorised him to abandon the vessel, but he remained on board.

“I told them I was responsible for the ship, worth 40 million dollars, not to mention the cargo of over 39,000 tonnes of steel coils we’d loaded in Qatar, estimated to be worth 8.2 million dollars.”

In a video filmed from the ship, flames can be seen after an Iranian missile strike at Jebel Ali during the night of 28 February to 1 March.

Missiles overhead

After several days, the ship took advantage of a lull to unload its cargo. What followed were 11 days of anxiety as Iranian missiles and Emirati air defence interceptions lit up the skies, particularly at night.

“Missiles were constantly flying overhead. Every night, I wondered if it would be my last.”

Iranian strikes on Jebel Ali also disrupted fuel supplies by hitting bunkering facilities, Islam said.

On 11 March, vessels were again ordered to leave. The Banglar Joyjatra was told to head either towards Kuwait or Mumbai.

With Kuwait itself under attack, Islam chose Mumbai – but that meant passing through the Strait of Hormuz again.

A pilot warned him against attempting the crossing, saying four ships had already been hit by Iranian missiles near the strait.

The dangers went beyond missiles and drones. The waters around Hormuz were also mined, while electronic warfare disrupted GPS navigation, radio frequencies and satellite communications, forcing ships to navigate by more traditional methods.

“As my satellite navigation systems were out of action and ship-to-shore communications were cut off, I bought a local SIM card and, by following the coastal route, I was able to stay connected to the network,” Islam said.

His first attempt to cross came on 12 March.

“I arrived very early, but the Emirati coastguard forced me to turn back because the situation was very bad,” Islam said. “I then made contact with the Revolutionary Guards, who refused to grant me permission to pass. So we went and anchored in the port of Hamriyah, in the emirate of Sharjah.”

There, north-east of Dubai, the crew remained exposed to the fighting.

The sailors witnessed a strike around 12 nautical miles – 22 kilometres – away. Another ship was sunk by debris from an intercepted missile, while a drone later hit an oil tanker close to the Banglar Joyjatra.


Two months stranded

Islam also had to manage the psychological strain on his crew.

“I’ve been a captain for 18 years; I know a thing or two about psychology and I know how to manage my crew,” Islam said. “I’ve managed to keep their spirits up, thank God.”

Fresh water and food became increasingly difficult and expensive to obtain. Daily water consumption was cut from 20 tonnes to five.

Regular contact with relatives helped sustain morale, as did extensive coverage of the crew’s plight in the Bangladeshi media. The charterer provided extra funds for better meals, while the sailors passed the time with online games, prayer and other activities.

Islam was also told that if danger became imminent, the crew could abandon the ship and make for the nearest coast.

Photo taken from a video of some of the crew sent to the Bangladeshi media to reassure their families. In the front row, third from the left, is Captain Islam. © Avec l'aimable du capitaine Islam

In late April, the vessel was sent to Ras Al Khair in Saudi Arabia to load 37,400 tonnes of fertiliser bound for Durban, South Africa.

The operation brought another challenge.

“You had to be very experienced because everything rested on my shoulders,” Islam said. “In Ras Al Khair, when entering or leaving the port, I couldn’t count on any assistance from the pilot. The manoeuvre was very risky; I had to follow the marked channel.”

By mid-May, rumours were circulating that the Strait of Hormuz might reopen.

Islam repeatedly contacted Iran’s Revolutionary Guards seeking permission to cross, but was refused.

Bangladesh then intensified diplomatic efforts with Tehran.

“Our Foreign Minister has contacted the Iranian Foreign Minister, as have the deputy ministers of both countries,” Islam said. “Discussions have also taken place between the ambassadors in Iran and Bangladesh. We have made repeated requests through all government channels.”

The South African consignee also intervened, arguing that the fertiliser was important for food production in Africa. But the diplomatic efforts initially came to nothing.

After another 23 attempts to cross the strait, Islam said Iran’s message remained clear – if the ship proceeded without permission, it could be attacked.

“If I had disobeyed, I would be dead,” Islam said. “They struck so many ships right in front of us; I saw it with my own eyes.”

Final escape

By 20 June, however, the situation was beginning to change.

Two days earlier, the United States and Iran had electronically signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at establishing a 60-day ceasefire and ending direct hostilities.

Some maritime traffic began moving through Hormuz again, although Iran continued to restrict passage. The Banglar Joyjatra remained at anchor.

Then, on 21 June, Islam received a call from his employer.

“He said: ‘Captain, you’re in luck because other ships are currently passing through.’”

The vessel immediately headed for the strait. As it approached the Iranian checkpoint, Islam contacted the Revolutionary Guards.

There was no reply.

His manager advised him to seize the opportunity. Islam decided to follow the merchant vessels ahead of him.

In the early hours of 23 June, the Banglar Joyjatra finally emerged into the Gulf of Oman.

After 115 days of missiles, electronic jamming, shortages, repeated refusals and diplomatic manoeuvring, the ordeal was over.

The Strait of Hormuz nevertheless remains heavily restricted, with commercial traffic well below pre-crisis levels.

Iran is making a full reopening conditional on demands including an end to the US naval blockade, the unfreezing of Iranian assets, the lifting of the oil embargo and an end to military operations on all fronts.

Washington has rejected those conditions, leaving the Strait of Hormuz only partially open and under Iranian control.

This has been adapted from an original article in French by RFI's Jelena Tomic