Freed Photographer Shahidul Alam Returns Home with Message of Resistance and Gratitude

Eminent photographer and human rights activist Shahidul Alam has returned home after being released from Israeli custody. He arrived at Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 4:55 a.m. on Saturday, October 11, aboard a Turkish Airlines flight. He was warmly received by well-wishers, including tech entrepreneur Fahim Mashroor and officials from Drik.

Speaking to the media upon arrival, Shahidul Alam said, “The love of the people of Bangladesh has made my return possible. We must remember that the people of Gaza are still not free. They are still being attacked and persecuted. Until that ends, our work is not over. I thank all Bangladeshis across the world for their solidarity and prayers, and express my gratitude to both the Bangladesh and Turkish governments for their assistance.”

Recounting a deeply humiliating incident, he added, “When the Israeli soldiers saw my Bangladeshi passport, they became furious and threw it to the ground. That was the most humiliating moment for me. We must demand justice for this. No one should be allowed to insult the passport of an independent nation and walk away unpunished.”

Reflecting on his detention, Shahidul said, “We endured torture and hardship, but that is nothing compared to what the people of Gaza are suffering. Our mission is not over until Gaza is free.”

Earlier, the global online community had erupted in protest following news that Shahidul Alam had been “abducted” by Israeli forces while participating in the historic maritime convoy bound for Gaza. The soldiers seized his mobile phone, camera, and other equipment. Later, two organizations took over his Facebook account to help build international public pressure for his release.

Thanks to the prompt intervention of the Bangladesh government and mediation by Turkey, Shahidul Alam was freed in less than two days. His social media channels and online news outlets buzzed with constant updates on his status. The Prime Adviser’s Press Wing provided real-time information, with Deputy Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad Majumder confirming on Friday night (October 10) that Shahidul Alam would arrive in Dhaka at 4:55 a.m.

Abul Kalam further stated that Shahidul Alam had landed in Istanbul at 2:30 p.m. local time on a Turkish Airlines flight from Israel, where he was received by Bangladesh’s Consul General, Mohammad Mizanur Rahman. The photographs of their meeting quickly went viral on social media and online platforms.

Bangladesh’s Ambassador to Turkey, Md. Amanur Rahman, said that Shahidul Alam’s Dhaka-bound flight was scheduled to depart Istanbul at 6:45 p.m. local time on Friday.

Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus expressed gratitude to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for his role in facilitating Shahidul Alam’s release and safe return to Bangladesh.

Immediately after Shahidul’s detention, Bangladesh’s embassies in Jordan, Egypt, and Turkey were directed to contact the respective foreign ministries and take urgent diplomatic measures for his release.

Shahidul Alam had joined the ‘Global Sumud Media Flotilla,’ a maritime initiative aimed at breaking the Israeli blockade on Gaza. He was aboard a ship named Conscience, from which he posted on Facebook on October 2: “We will break the blockade. Perhaps you do not fully realize the value of your presence and solidarity. Palestine will, of course, be free.”

Many praised Shahidul Alam’s bold initiative. On October 4, Chief Adviser Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus said in a statement, “Shahidul Alam joined this mission with the same courage, determination, and unwavering spirit that he showed when he was imprisoned for 107 days in 2018 by Sheikh Hasina’s government for speaking against injustice. Today, he stands as a shining symbol of Bangladesh’s indomitable spirit.”

Concluding his statement, Muhammad Yunus affirmed, “We stand by Shahidul Alam; we stand by Gaza—now and forever.”

On the same day, BNP’s Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman wrote in a Facebook post: “Shahidul Alam’s participation in the Gaza-bound flotilla is not only an expression of solidarity but also a powerful voice of conscience for justice. By raising Bangladesh’s flag high, he has proved that this nation has never bowed—and will never bow—to oppression and injustice.”