Bangladeshi mariner Mohammad Shafiqul Islam recounts being stranded at sea for 115 days in the Persian Gulf amid regional attacks. Islam, 51, said he was captain of the bulk carrier Banglar Joyjatra, a ship with a value of about $40 million and cargo valued at $8.2 million. He told AFP that he had to manage limited supplies and keep the crew calm, rationing food and water while watching missiles light up the night sky.
According to the reports, Islam described the vessel arriving in the Gulf about a month before the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran in February. After those strikes began, he said the situation left the ship and crew unable to return, forcing them to remain at sea for months. He also emphasized the responsibility he felt for 31 lives aboard.
Islam has returned home after the ordeal and describes the experience as a prolonged period of uncertainty and scarcity linked to the conflict-related disruption in the Gulf region.
