Former Bangladesh Air Force Flight Lieutenant KM Tahsif Sauri (also spelled Souri) once stated that there is no greater or more noble cause than dying for one’s own country.
He made the remarks during an appearance on the YouTube podcast “Speak with Rashid,” in an episode titled Milestone Tragedy: Inside the Bangladesh Air Force, published on July 21.
The conversation primarily addressed the Milestone School and College plane crash, while the latter part of the video also covered the leaked footage of ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s departure from the country. Tahsif, a former student of Milestone College, answered questions from the host on these topics. The podcast has drawn renewed attention following his death.
In the podcast, Tahsif said there are two kinds of people in the world: those who wanted to rise and those who actually managed to. He noted that if a person falls into the second category, they can consider themselves fortunate. He added that there is no greater pride than dying for a noble cause, and that dying for one’s own country is the most noble cause of all.
The host asked him about allegations that he had recorded and circulated the video of Sheikh Hasina’s flight from the country, as well as claims linking him to a reported “R” (RAW, India’s Research and Analysis Wing) network inside the Air Force.
Tahsif responded that he believed a report published by the daily Amar Desh was serving propaganda, and he questioned its motives. He pointed out that the report clearly stated he had spread the video, but did not claim he had filmed it. Instead, it said Flight Lieutenant Rifat Ashrafi had recorded the footage and that Tahsif had allegedly circulated it. He asked what proof the newspaper had and suggested that this episode might explain why he was no longer in the Air Force.
When asked directly whether he thought he had been removed from the Air Force for recording and spreading the video of Hasina’s departure, Tahsif said it was possible. He noted that he would not discuss everything that happened at the time, citing certain constraints. He believed the allegations may have led to the action against him. He also criticised the report’s framing under the headline “RAW network inside the Air Force leaked,” which featured photos of four people, including his. He said the connection was irrelevant, he had no such links, and that most people only read headlines. As a result of the inaccurate report, he said he faced significant social embarrassment and harassment.
Tahsif, 28, came under public scrutiny after media reports linked his name to the viral video showing Sheikh Hasina and her sister leaving Bangladesh by aircraft on August 5, 2024, amid the mass uprising that ousted her government. He consistently denied or downplayed personal involvement in filming it, attributing the recording to a colleague. In August 2025, Amar Desh published a report alleging links between certain Air Force personnel (including Tahsif and Rifat Ashrafi) and foreign intelligence. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) issued a rejoinder calling the claims misleading. It stated that the officers, including Tahsif, had been retired through due process under existing Air Force rules in different circumstances, unrelated to the video allegations or any foreign intelligence links.
The Milestone Tragedy refers to the July 21, 2025, crash of a Bangladesh Air Force FT-7BGI training jet into Milestone School and College in Uttara, Dhaka, which killed around 36–37 people (including many students and the pilot) and injured over 170 others. Official probes attributed it primarily to pilot error, with contributing factors related to training, supervision, and building safety issues.
Tahsif’s body was recovered from the Turag River near Rajabari Ghat in Dhaka’s Uttarkhan area on October 28, 2026, a day after he went missing. Police have said there were no visible external injury marks; an autopsy is underway to determine the cause of death. His father has said Tahsif occasionally expressed fears for his safety, and a relative has alleged on social media that he was killed amid harassment linked to the Hasina video. Authorities have not confirmed any connection, and investigations continue. After leaving the Air Force, Tahsif worked at organisations including the Bangladesh Cricket Board.