A Dhaka court has placed Ahmed Shahriar Reza Dwip, a friend of former air force officer KM Tahsif Souri, on a fresh three-day police remand in the murder case, taking the total number of remand spells to three.
Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Md Monirul Islam passed the order on Thursday, following a hearing on a police petition seeking seven days of remand for further interrogation.
Dwip, 23, is accused in the murder of Tahsif, 27, whose body was recovered from the Turag River in Tongi on 28 October.
Inspector Firoz Uddin, investigation officer of the case and a member of the Tongi River Police Outpost, filed the remand petition.
Public prosecutor Mohammad Shamsuddoha Sumon confirmed the court order.
During the hearing, state prosecutor Md Faruk Hossain Faruqi said Dwip and another accused, Jarika Tasnim Disha, 19, had been with Tahsif on the day of his death.
He told the court that the two accused had provided incomplete information during interrogation. Investigators needed to establish how they had become friends with Tahsif and whether anyone had instructed them to develop the relationship.
Faruqi also raised questions about a video showing former prime minister Sheikh Hasina leaving the country. He said Tahsif had recorded the footage, which brought Hasina’s departure to public attention, and urged investigators to examine whether the video had any connection to the killing.
Defence lawyer Monirul Islam opposed further remand, saying that the allegation regarding Tahsif recording the video was incorrect.
Meanwhile, another court on Wednesday granted a three-day remand for Disha, a friend of Tahsif, for further questioning.
What investigators have found
In the remand petition, the investigation officer said Dwip had earlier been questioned for three days from 3 November following a court order.
During interrogation, Dwip provided some important information but allegedly avoided answering several questions and remained silent on certain aspects of the incident. Investigators said his statements needed to be verified.
According to the petition, Dwip called Tahsif out of his residence around 6pm on 27 October. The two, along with Disha, later visited a motorcycle garage for repairs.
They subsequently went to CP Five Star Snacks at different times to have food before visiting Uttara Nest Bar and Restaurant, where they drank beer. Disha left for home later that night.
The petition, citing Dwip’s statements, said he and Tahsif reached Mazar slum in Tongi around 12:40am on 28 October.
They then walked through the settlement towards a field beside the Turag river.
Dwip claimed that they separated after noticing several people in the field.
The investigation officer said CCTV footage and mobile phone call records showed that Dwip and Disha were the last people seen with Tahsif before his death.
Investigators also found that the three had visited several places and had meals at restaurants before the incident.
Police are examining their possible involvement in the killing based on these findings.
Five reasons for further remand
The investigation officer cited five reasons for seeking further interrogation- establishing the motive behind the murder, recovering evidence used in the killing, identifying the alleged mastermind and any accomplices or hired killers, matching Dwip’s statements with eyewitness accounts and CCTV footage, and gathering details about how the murder was carried out.
Investigators are also looking into whether the killing originated from previous enmity, financial transactions, political differences or personal disputes.
The petition described the case as sensitive and said further interrogation is necessary to identify anyone else involved. It also mentioned that Dwip might go into hiding if released on bail, potentially hampering the investigation.
Police had sought seven days of remand for Dwip for a second time on 3 November, but the court granted three days. He was earlier questioned on a four-day remand during the first phase of interrogation.
Body recovered from Turag river
Tongi River Police recovered Tahsif’s body from an area near Rajabari Ghat on the Turag river on 28 October.
Police went to the spot after receiving a call through the national emergency service 999 and recovered the body. It was later sent to the morgue of Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital for an autopsy.
Three days after the recovery, Tahsif’s father filed a murder case with Uttarkhan Police Station. The River Police are investigating the case.
