Ahmed Shahriar Reza Dwip, a close friend of former Bangladesh Air Force Flight Lieutenant KM Tahsif Souri (also referred to as Tahsif Sauri), has described spending the evening of 27 October with him—from motorcycle repairs and a workshop visit to dinner—before the two parted ways in Uttara’s House Building area. Dwip says he later found Tahsif’s phone switched off when he called to confirm he had reached home.
Speaking to media on Thursday (29 October), Dwip said the two had known each other for about six years and that Tahsif had been like an elder brother to him. According to Dwip, Tahsif’s motorcycle had broken down and would not start. After seeking his advice, Dwip went to Tahsif’s residence. The two spent 10–20 minutes trying to get it running, succeeded, and then took it to a workshop for necessary repairs and an oil change.
Once the motorcycle work was finished, Tahsif invited Dwip to dinner. They ate together at the “Kukurukku” restaurant in Uttara’s Ruap Shopping Complex. After the meal, they left on separate motorcycles. Around midnight, in the House Building area, Dwip made a U-turn and headed one way while Tahsif continued in another. Dwip said Tahsif had not clearly told him where he was going; as the elder of the two, he was not usually asked directly about his plans.
After reaching home, Dip called to let Tahsif know he had arrived safely but found the phone switched off. He initially assumed the battery had drained—Tahsif had been charging it with a power bank at the restaurant. The phone remained off when Dwip called again the next morning. He noticed nothing unusual in Tahsif’s behaviour that evening. A friend of Tahsif’s called during dinner, but the conversation appeared ordinary. Dwip stated he currently has no basis to suspect anyone and that nothing in their conversations over the years had given him reason to anticipate any mishap.
“I am in exactly the same mystery as the other ten people,” Dwip said.
Regarding claims from Tahsif’s family that Dwip had called him out of the house, Dwip clarified that the meeting was primarily for the motorcycle repair and that they had gone out together and later had dinner. CCTV footage from the ground floor of the residence has separately shown Dwip in a green panjabi, talking and shaking hands with Tahsif beside a motorcycle with its headlight on, before the two left the area.
His father, KM Enayetul Karim, has said Tahsif spent the day of 27 October shopping for family members and left in the evening after receiving a call from a junior named Dwip. Around 1:35 am the family received a message from him saying “Ammu, ami aschi” (“Mom, I’m coming”). There was no further contact. The family learned of his death around 5:15 am the next day through police information. His father said Tahsif had never previously visited the Rajabari Ghat area and ruled out suicide, noting his son had been in a good mood after shopping.
Dwip also mentioned that Tahsif had been involved in a business supplying security personnel and that personal disputes among acquaintances related to the business were possible, though he described the matter as not particularly serious. Dwip knew members of Tahsif’s family. He said Tahsif would occasionally tell him to look after his younger brother if anything happened to him, but declined to elaborate on why.
On the subject of a viral video of Tahsif concerning former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s departure from the country by aircraft from Kurmitola Airport on 5 August 2024, Dwip said he had learned of it only through the media and that the two had never discussed it. Tahsif had attracted significant public attention over the footage amid the mass uprising that led to her ouster. Reports and social media discussions linked him to recording or spreading it.
In a long interview published on the YouTube channel “Speak with Rashid” on 21 July (in an episode focused on the Air Force and related events), Tahsif addressed media reports. He noted that one report clearly stated he had spread the video but did not claim he recorded it; it said Rifat Ashrafi recorded it and he circulated it. He questioned the evidence for these claims and said it was possible this was why he was no longer in the Air Force. He also described certain media reporting on the matter as potentially serving propaganda.
Tahsif’s father has said he was dismissed from the Bangladesh Air Force on disciplinary grounds (others were also dismissed around the same time). ISPR had earlier stated that he and Flight Lieutenant Rifat Ashrafi were administratively retired under prevailing Air Force rules and regulations, and that the retirement was not linked to certain public allegations. After leaving the force, Tahsif worked at the Bangladesh Cricket Board and various private organisations. His cousin, Moshfeka Jahan, posted on Facebook early on Thursday alleging that he had been murdered after facing harassment and mental pressure over the video (which she said he shared but did not record himself). She claimed the pressure continued even after he left the force.
Dwip, who recently completed his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering, went to the morgue when Tahsif’s body was released after the post-mortem. Considering the family’s anxiety, he has largely stayed indoors since then.
Tahsif’s body was recovered from the Turag River near Rajabari Ghat in Dhaka’s Uttarkhan area on Wednesday afternoon (around 4:30–5:45 pm) after a call to the national emergency number 999. Tongi River/Naval Police recovered the body, which was floating near a speedboat. He was wearing a black full-sleeved shirt and white trousers. A wristwatch and an iPhone were found on him; the phone was used to identify him. The body was sent to the morgue at Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital for autopsy.
An inquest (surathal) report prepared by Sub-Inspector Mostafizur Rahman of the Tongi River Police Outpost found no external injury marks on the body. However, blood was noted coming from his nose. His eyes and mouth were closed, both arms were bent toward his head with fists clenched, and his abdomen appeared swollen. He was described as approximately 5 feet 7 inches tall with black hair and a short black beard and moustache. His chest, back, legs, and other areas appeared normal externally.
Sajeeb Wazed slams propaganda campaign by Amar Desh
Sajeeb Wazed, son of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and former ICT advisor, has publicly questioned the circumstances surrounding the death of retired Bangladesh Air Force flight lieutenant KM Tahsif Souri. In a detailed post on X on October 29, 2026, Wazed described Souri’s death as mysterious and linked it to earlier allegations against the officer, calling for accountability and a fair probe.
In his post, Wazed referenced a podcast appearance by Souri roughly three months before his death. According to Wazed, Souri had spoken about the trauma he faced after August 5, 2024—the day Hasina left the country amid mass protests—and rejected claims published by the newspaper Amar Desh in August 2025 that labeled him a foreign operative. Wazed said Souri had explained how those allegations ruined his career and expressed fears for his safety. He also noted that Souri had raised questions about Air Force matters, including the investigation into a plane crash, reported casualty figures under the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus, jet maintenance, and new fighter-jet procurement policies.
Wazed claimed that no steps were taken to address Souri’s concerns, that his passport was seized under the Yunus-led interim administration, and that he was forcibly retired despite his family’s support for the 2024 movement. After the death, Wazed alleged that the same circles, including those linked to Amar Desh editor Mahamudur Rahman and Jamaat-aligned activists, were again promoting the earlier allegations. He argued that this appeared intended to obstruct a transparent investigation, further discredit the Awami League, and protect those responsible for the prior campaign against Souri.
“Investigation into Amar Desh Editor and those who have smeared him before and after his sudden demise can only expose the truth,” Wazed wrote, adding that the renewed allegations were complicating the situation for the grieving family. He framed the episode as part of broader unresolved issues inside the armed forces.