Fakhrul urges govt to ensure Shahidul Alam’s safe return

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Wednesday urged the government to take immediate steps to ensure the safe return of Bangladeshi photographer and writer Shahidul Alam, who has reportedly been intercepted and detained by Israeli forces.

"Free Shahidul Alam," Fakhrul wrote on his verified Facebook page.

"I urge the government to take immediate action to ensure his safe return to Bangladesh," he added.

His call came after a video message by Shahidul Alam began circulating on social media, where he claimed that he had been "kidnapped by the Occupation Forces of Israel" while travelling by sea in a flotilla heading towards Gaza.

"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 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, an internationally acclaimed photographer and activist, is known for his strong voice on human rights and press freedom, as well as his long-standing support for the Palestinian cause.

Details about his current condition and the whereabouts of others travelling with him are still unknown.

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.