BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir urged the government on Wednesday to act quickly to ensure the safe return of Bangladeshi photographer and writer Shahidul Alam. He has reportedly been intercepted and detained by Israeli forces.
“Free Shahidul Alam,” Fakhrul posted on his verified Facebook page. “I call on the government to take immediate action to ensure his safe return to Bangladesh,” he added.
Fakhrul’s call followed the circulation of a video message by Shahidul Alam on social media, in which he claimed that he had been “kidnapped by the Occupation Forces of Israel” while traveling by sea in a flotilla heading towards Gaza, reports UNB.
“I am Shahidul Alam, a photographer and writer from Bangladesh. If you are seeing this video, we have been intercepted at sea, and I have been kidnapped by the Occupation Forces of Israel, the country conducting genocide in Gaza with the active collaboration and assistance of the USA and other Western powers,” Shahidul said in the video message.
He also urged his “comrades and friends” to continue fighting for the freedom of Palestine.
Shahidul Alam, a renowned photographer and activist, is widely recognised for his strong advocacy on human rights and press freedom, as well as his long-standing support for the Palestinian cause.
Meanwhile, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), an international network of pro-Palestinian groups that organises civilian missions by sea, confirmed that Israeli forces attacked its convoy of aid boats and seized several vessels en route to Gaza.
