Dhaka: Noted photographer and human rights activist Shahidul Alam has revealed that he was subjected to mental torture by Israeli forces after being detained from a Gaza-bound vessel on October 8. He shared these harrowing experiences during a press conference at the Drik office upon his return home from captivity.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Alam detailed the conditions of his detention, expressing that while he faced mental torture, many of his fellow flotilla members endured physical abuse. He recounted how the Israeli forces attempted to instill fear within the detention center, threatening to shoot one of the protestors they accused of being a Hamas supporter.
He further described the humiliating treatment they endured, such as being kept in a facility where Israeli forces urinated in areas where detainees were held with their hands tied and forced to kneel. Alam's Bangladeshi passport was repeatedly thrown away, and he was attacked each time he attempted to retrieve it. Additionally, two passengers suffered blows from a machine gun barrel for merely conversing.
Alam disclosed that they were held in a secret prison in the Israeli desert. Another detainee from a different ship recounted being threatened with execution after being accused of being a Hamas agent. In protest, Alam and his fellow detainees undertook a hunger strike, with nearly all refusing food, except for a few who succumbed to physical weakness.
The detainees were provided with minimal sustenance, receiving only one plate of food over two and a half days. The sleeping arrangements were on iron surfaces, and the toilet conditions were appalling, he noted. Alam also described the terror of night raids by Israeli forces, who would enter cells with machine guns, creating chaos and issuing intimidating commands.
In response to a question, Alam announced plans to establish an international network to address the inaction of global leaders on this issue. He shared their resolve to return to Palestine with a flotilla of thousands of ships, having already devised a blueprint for this mission before returning home.