Police investigating the death of former Bangladesh Air Force officer KM Tahsif Souri have uncovered fresh leads from closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage and the interrogation of a close friend. Investigators are currently seeking to establish whether Tahsif was murdered or died in a tragic accident.
Detectives have gathered vital details regarding why Tahsif visited the Mazar slum in Tongi, an area notorious for drug peddling and organised crime, on the night preceding the recovery of his body from the Turag River.
Information provided by his junior acquaintance, Ahmed Shahriar Reza Dwip, alongside security camera recordings, is being scrutinised to reconstruct Tahsif’s final movements.
On Saturday, a Dhaka court placed Dwip on a four-day remand for questioning by the River Police. The Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI), which had previously interrogated Dwip, has shared its findings with the primary investigating agency.
Senior officers confirmed they now possess a far clearer picture of the events leading to the fatality, including details regarding law enforcement personnel present near the slum that evening.
Tahsif previously gained public prominence after filming the departure of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina from Bangladesh on 5 August 2024, an action that subsequently led to his dismissal from the air force.
Remand granted in murder probe
Tahsif’s father, KM Enayetul Karim, lodged a formal complaint with Uttarkhan Police Station late on Friday night, nearly three days after his son’s body was retrieved near Rajabari Ghat. Police subsequently registered a case under Sections 302, 201, and 34 of the Penal Code. Dwip, already in custody, was formally shown arrested.
Appearing before Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Hasib Ullah Pias, Additional Public Prosecutor Muhammad Shamsuddoha Sumon requested a seven-day remand. The court granted four days.
According to the remand application filed by Inspector Firoz Uddin of the Tongi River Police Outpost, Dwip lured Tahsif away from his Uttara residence on the night of the incident. Preliminary inquiries suggest Dwip’s potential involvement in the alleged killing. Investigators argued that extended custodial interrogation was imperative to establish the locus of the crime, identify potential accomplices, and recover physical evidence without interference.
During the hearing, prosecution counsel Azizul Haque Didar posited that Tahsif might have been targeted due to his role in recording and circulating the video of Sheikh Hasina’s departure. However, authorities emphasised that this remains a prosecution assertion whilst the definitive cause and motive are verified.
Reconstructing the final hours
CCTV footage shows Dwip arriving on a motorcycle at the underground garage of Tahsif’s residence at 6:24pm on Tuesday. After removing his helmet and wiping his face, Dwip greeted Tahsif, who came downstairs moments later. The pair departed on separate motorcycles at 6:31pm.
During initial questioning by the PBI, Dwip said that he had known Tahsif for six years and was assisting him with motorcycle repairs. After spending 20 minutes attempting to start the vehicle, they brought it to a workshop for an oil change. In gratitude, Tahsif offered to treat Dwip to dinner at a restaurant in Uttara’s Ashkona area.
A PBI official holding the rank of Superintendent of Police said that the duo subsequently visited Next Bar in Uttara, accompanied by a young woman, where they consumed alcohol. From the bar, Tahsif and Dwip travelled to the Mazar slum to procure yaba, a synthetic drug. Dwip claimed that whilst at the slum around midnight, they spotted two police officers and fled in panic, causing them to separate. Dwip alleged he hid behind a concrete pillar before returning to his Babar Road residence in Mohammadpur at approximately 2:30am.
On Thursday night, PBI officers took Dwip into custody and subsequently led him back to the Mazar slum, where Tahsif’s motorcycle was recovered.
Investigators highlighted significant discrepancies in Dwip’s narrative: on Wednesday night, he had claimed the two parted ways immediately after dinner, omitting any mention of the bar or slum visit.
Officers confirmed that autopsy findings, toxicological analyses, and forensic examination of the viscera will prove decisive in establishing the exact cause of death.
Call for justice
Meanwhile, a delegation from the Retired Armed Forces Officers’ Welfare Association (RAOWA) visited Tahsif’s family in Uttara. RAOWA Joint Secretary Lieutenant Colonel (retd) Abu Nawroz Khurshid Alam expressed condolences and pledged continuous support. RAOWA member Major (retd) Al Amin added that the association would closely monitor proceedings to ensure justice is served.
