Questions loom over the death of ex-flight lieutenant KM Tahsif Souri, who came to be known as the one who allegedly filmed the video of ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina leaving Bangladesh on 5 August 2024.
Souri was found dead in the Turag River on Wednesday, about 15 hours into remaining missing.
His family suspects that he was murdered and his body dumped in the river. A police inquest found no visible external injuries, while his motorcycle, which he took when leaving home, remains missing.
Tahsif left his Uttara home on Tuesday night after a younger friend, Deep, arrived and called him downstairs. He told his mother he was going to meet a friend but never returned.
Around 1:35am, he sent his mother a message, “Ammu, I’m coming.” When he failed to return home, his family contacted Uttarkhan Police Station.
River police recovered his body from the Turag on Wednesday afternoon. Relatives later identified him, and his family began preparing to file a case. Police were also seeking information from Deep about the circumstances surrounding Tahsif’s disappearance.
Tahsif lived in the Karabi building of the Rajuk Uttara Apartment Project in Sector 18.
His father, KM Enayetul Karim Helal, said Tahsif had spent Tuesday, 27 October, shopping with his mother and buying items for other family members. Later that evening, Deep arrived and called him downstairs.
Enayetul Karim said his son regularly shared personal matters with him. Although upset about his dismissal, Tahsif had not regarded it as a major problem.
“I had an idea of my son’s mental state. I believe Tahsif did not commit suicide. Rather, he was killed and thrown into the river. There is no question of suicide,” he said.
The father said the family learnt about the body around 5:15am on Wednesday. However, when he visited Turag Police Station at noon, officers told him there was no such bad news. Uttarkhan police later called around 5:15pm to confirm the recovery.
He said Tahsif had never visited the Rajabari Ghat area before.
Deep said they first visited a motorcycle workshop before having dinner at a restaurant in Ruap Complex. Afterwards, Tahsif left to attend to personal matters, while Deep returned home.
Deep said they had previously visited restaurants together and had remained together until approximately 11:30pm that night.
Tahsif, the eldest of two brothers and a sister, had been injured in a motorcycle accident about a month earlier. His family subsequently advised him against riding.
His maternal cousin, Zahir Hasan, said Tahsif had taken his motorcycle when he left home, but its whereabouts remained unknown.
Deep could not provide further information about the motorcycle. Its details and photographs have been supplied to police.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Uttara Division Deputy Commissioner Md Rezaul Karim said on Thursday evening that efforts to locate it were continuing. He told TIMES earlier in the day that river police had been handling the investigation from the beginning.
Police had asked Tahsif’s father to file a case, which river police would investigate. The investigating agency could subsequently be changed on the instructions of senior authorities.
River Police Dhaka Region Superintendent Abdullah Al Mamun said no visible external injuries had been found.
Tahsif was wearing white pyjamas and a black shirt, with a watch on his wrist and an iPhone in his pocket. Police identified him through the phone.
According to an internal river police report, the national emergency service, 999, received a call around 4:30pm on Wednesday reporting a body floating in the Turag.
A team from Tongi river police outpost recovered the body and prepared an inquest report.
A post-mortem examination was conducted at Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital in Dhaka on Thursday.
Tongi river police outpost Sub-Inspector Mostafizur Rahman recorded no visible injuries, although blood had emerged from Tahsif’s nose and his abdomen was swollen.
The report identified Zahir Hasan as the relative who confirmed his identity.
It described Tahsif as approximately 5 feet 7 inches tall, with black hair, a round face, and a short black beard and moustache.
His mouth and eyes were closed, both arms were bent in front of his head, and his fists were open.
His chest, abdomen, back and legs appeared normal, with no visible injury marks.
Dismissal from the air force over Hasina video
Tahsif’s dismissal followed controversy surrounding a video showing former prime minister Sheikh Hasina entering a vehicle at the Ganabhaban helipad on 5 August 2024.
A video showing former prime minister Sheikh Hasina getting into a vehicle at Ganabhaban’s helipad was released on the afternoon of 5 August 2024. It is widely rumoured that Tahsif Souri recorded and circulated the video on his mobile phone. Tahsif denied recording the video.
According to an Amar Desh report, Flight Lieutenant Rifat Ashrafi actually recorded the video from the air force officers’ mess beside the old Tejgaon airport as Sheikh Hasina boarded a chopper.
The air force maintained that Tahsif had been dismissed for disciplinary reasons, alongside several other officers.
Following his dismissal, he worked for organisations including the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and Netra News.
Most recently, he served as an administration and security officer at Varg and had been resting following his motorcycle accident.
Tahsif alleged coercion over dismissal
Three months before his death, Tahsif discussed his dismissal on the “Speak with Rashid” podcast.
He alleged that a daily newspaper had falsely accused him of circulating footage of Hasina fleeing through Kurmitola airport and having links to an alleged network of India’s Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) within the air force.
Calling the report “ridiculous and fake propaganda”, he challenged the allegations.
“Even if I spread the video, what is the proof they are having?” he asked.
“If I were a RAW agent, why would I be roaming openly in Bangladesh and speaking publicly?”
Tahsif claimed that then Director of Air Intelligence Air Commodore Mahbub Jahan Khan had summoned him over the allegations and pressured him to sign an application for voluntary retirement, promising that he would not face harassment or arrest.
He said he had signed under compulsion to protect his career and had also been extensively interrogated by Group Captain Selim Javed, now an air commodore.
Tahsif further alleged that his phone and personal belongings had been forcibly confiscated and that his green passport had been withheld for two years.
He claimed the restrictions had prevented him from entering civil aviation and continuing his flying career despite his qualifications as a general duties (GD) pilot.
He described the treatment as a serious violation of his democratic rights.
