Prominent Bangladeshi photographer and activist Shahidul Alam has been "abducted" along with other activists aboard a Gaza-bound aid flotilla after Israeli forces intercepted the vessels in international waters, according to a statement from his media organisation Drik, reports bdnews24.com.
Drik said all those on board the Freedom Flotilla vessel "Conscience", including photographers, journalists, doctors, health workers, writers, and human rights defenders, had been detained by Israeli forces on Wednesday.
The Israeli military intercepted the nine-boat flotilla early Wednesday in the Mediterranean Sea trying to break Israel's naval blockade of Gaza and detained scores of activists on board, the flotilla organizers and the Israeli Foreign Ministry said.
The ministry said the 145 activists, who were in good health, were being brought to shore in Israel for processing and are expected to be deported soon.
Citing Adalah - The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel, which is representing the detained activists, Drik said: "At this moment, the Israeli Navy is taking the abductees to a port in Israel."
The organisation described the Israeli action as a "gross violation of international law", saying the flotilla comprised unarmed civilians sailing through international waters to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Drik said that around 6am local time in Palestine (8am Bangladesh time), the Conscience and seven other ships were forcibly seized by Israeli naval forces roughly 220km off the Gaza coast.
UNB adds: 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.
"Free Shahidul Alam," Fakhrul wrote on his verified Facebook page.
Chief Adviser's Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam also on Wednesday demanded immediate release of Shahidul Alam and all others from the flotilla.
"Shahidul stands as a shining embodiment of the unyielding spirit of Bangladesh. May Allah protect and keep Shahidul and the rest of the team safe," he said.
