A crude oil tanker delayed for more than three months by the conflict in West Asia has arrived off the coast of Bangladesh, marking another step towards restoring the country’s fuel supply after months of disruption.
The MT Nordic Pollux, carrying 108,625 tonnes of crude oil, entered Bangladesh’s maritime waters on Tuesday morning following a journey that had been significantly extended by instability around the Strait of Hormuz.
Despite reaching the country’s coastline, the vessel was unable to anchor immediately because of unfavourable weather conditions in the Bay of Bengal.
Bangladesh Shipping Corporation (BSC) said, "The tanker was expected to anchor later in the afternoon if sea conditions improved, after which preparations would begin to unload the cargo.”
The shipment belongs to the state-owned Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC), while the transport arrangements were managed by BSC through a charter agreement.
The tanker loaded its cargo at Saudi Arabia’s Ras Tanura port on 3 March. Shortly afterwards, escalating military tensions across West Asia disrupted maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, leaving the vessel stranded for around 112 days.
After conditions allowed safe passage, the ship crossed the strategic waterway on 22 June before calling at the Port of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates. It departed for Bangladesh on 25 June and was originally expected to anchor near Kutubdia on Monday, although rough weather delayed its arrival.
The arrival of the Nordic Pollux adds to a series of recent crude oil deliveries that have helped stabilise Bangladesh’s fuel supplies.
Earlier in 2026, the MT Ninemia delivered 100,000 tonnes of crude oil from Saudi Arabia’s Yanbu port on 6 May and later transported another 100,000 tonnes from Fujairah during the final week of June. Another tanker, MT Fossil, also supplied 100,000 tonnes of crude oil from the UAE in mid-May.
Bangladesh’s crude oil imports had effectively been interrupted after 18 February as the regional conflict severely affected shipping routes and restricted movement through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important energy corridors.
The prolonged disruption placed significant pressure on domestic fuel supplies and forced operations at the state-owned Eastern Refinery to slow dramatically from mid-April because of limited crude oil availability.
Regular refining activity resumed after fresh shipments began arriving in early May, with the latest delivery expected to further strengthen crude supplies and support continued refinery operations.
The arrival of the Nordic Pollux is likely to provide additional relief for Bangladesh’s energy sector as authorities continue efforts to secure stable fuel imports despite ongoing geopolitical uncertainty in the region.
