Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus commended Shahidul Alam and voiced support for his cause as the Gaza-bound flotilla continues its journey in a bid to end media blackout and deliver humanitarian aid.

“We are closely monitoring the status and safety of those participating in the historic flotilla for Gaza, especially world-renowned photographer and human rights activist Shahidul Alam,” according to a statement issued by his press wing tonight.

“Shahidul has approached this mission with the same courage, resolve and unwavering spirit he showed when he endured 107 days in prison in 2018 for speaking out against injustice under the Hasina government. He stands today as a shining embodiment of the unyielding spirit of Bangladesh,” the statement said.

“As I declared before the United Nations General Assembly last month, “the indifference to human pain is destroying the progress humanity has built through decades of struggle,” read the statement.

Nowhere is this tragedy more visible than in Gaza. Children are dying of hunger. Civilians are being killed without distinction. Entire neighborhoods, including hospitals and schools, are being wiped from the map.

“We stand with Shahidul Alam and with Gaza — now and forever,” the statement added.