Sailors of 'Banglar Joyjatra' offer Eid prayers on board

Amid the ongoing war situation in the Middle East, the sailors of the Bangladesh Shipping Corporation's ship 'Banglar Joyjatra' offered Eid prayers on board.

The sailors of the ship, which is stationed in the waters of Sharjah Port in the United Arab Emirates, were unable to offer prayers on Friday due to adverse weather conditions, so they offered prayers in the ship's interior passage. Out of the 31 sailors on board, 29 Muslims participated in the prayers together.

The ship's captain, Shafiqul Islam, said that prayers could not be offered on board due to rain in the morning. Therefore, prayers were offered inside and special food arrangements were also made on the occasion of Eid. He said that everyone prayed together for a speedy recovery from this uncertain situation. The pictures taken by the sailors show that many people wore Punjabi and took pictures on the deck and in the control room on Eid day.

Currently, 'Banglar Joyjatra' is anchored about 80 nautical miles away from Sharjah Port, waiting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. The United Arab Emirates Coast Guard suspended the ship's voyage due to security risks due to the war. As a result, the ship has been at sea for the past nine days and the sailors are passing the time in fear.

Earlier, the ship reached Jebel Ali Port in Dubai from Mesaieed Port in Qatar with about 38,800 metric tons of steel coils. However, the unloading of the goods was delayed due to attacks on Iran. At one point, a missile attack also occurred on an oil storage facility near the ship, which increased concerns about the safety of the sailors.

After unloading the goods, the ship was supposed to leave for Mumbai, but due to the war situation, it was not possible. As a result, the sailors had to celebrate Eid on the ship this time, going beyond the plan.