Shahidul Alam freed, returns home today

Acclaimed Bangladeshi photographer and human rights activist Shahidul Alam, after being released by Israeli authorities, is expected to arrive in Dhaka around 5:00am this morning.

Shahidul reached Istanbul on a Turkish Airlines flight yesterday around 2:30pm (local time), where he was received by Bangladesh Consul General in Istanbul Mohammad Mizanur Rahman.

Bangladesh Ambassador to Turkey Md Amanur Rahman said Shahidul's return flight to Dhaka was scheduled to depart Istanbul at 6:45pm (local time).

Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus has expressed gratitude to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for his cooperation in facilitating Shahidul Alam's release and safe repatriation from Israel.

Following Shahidul Alam's detention by Israeli authorities, Bangladesh embassies in Jordan, Egypt, and Turkey were instructed to engage with the respective foreign ministries and take immediate diplomatic measures to secure his release.

On Thursday, Shahidul, along with more than 140 journalists, medics, and human rights activists, was taken to Israel's Ketziot Prison.

On Wednesday, the group was intercepted by Israeli forces in international waters approximately 120 nautical miles off the coast of Gaza.

As part of the FFC, Shahidul's ship, the Conscience, along with eight other smaller vessels, was sailing toward war-ravaged Gaza to challenge Israel's blockade and deliver humanitarian aid to Palestinians in the besieged enclave.

This was the second interception, after Israel last week stopped about 40 vessels and detained more than 450 activists in an aid convoy, the Global Sumud Flotilla, that was also attempting to deliver supplies to Gaza.

According to the FFC, an international network of pro-Palestinian activist groups, all nine boats in the Thousand Madleens to Gaza campaign -- Abd Elkarim Eid, Alaa Al-Najjar, Anas Al-Sharif, Gaza Sunbird, Leïla Khaled, Milad, Soul of My Soul, Umm Saad and Conscience -- were intercepted.

The ships carried aid worth more than $110,000 in medicines, respiratory equipment and nutritional supplies intended for Gaza's starving hospitals, it added on its Instagram account.