Trapped by war, Bangladesh seafarer recounts Gulf ordeal

For 115 days, captain Mohammad Shafiqul Islam was stranded on the high seas of the Gulf, watching missiles light up the night sky and rationing food and water for his crew. "I tried to stay calm because I was responsible for 31 lives, a ship worth $40 million, and cargo valued at $8.2 million," the 51-year-old Bangladeshi mariner told AFP, back home after the ordeal. Islam was the captain of the Banglar Joyjatra, a bulk carrier that had arrived in the Gulf a…