Ex-air force officer found dead in Turag River; social media users link death to Hasina flight footage

The body of former Bangladesh Air Force officer K M Tahsif Souri was recovered from the Turag River in Dhaka on Wednesday, a day after he went missing, prompting questions on social media about the circumstances surrounding his death.

Tahsif Souri, 28, was a retired flight lieutenant.

Firoz Uddin, inspector-in-charge of the Tongi River Police outpost, told Daily Waadaa that police received information about a body floating in the river through the national emergency helpline 999.

“Based on the information, our team went to the spot and recovered the body at around 4:30pm,” he said.

Police prepared an inquest report and sent the body to Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital for an autopsy. His identity was established using an iPhone found in his possession, according to the police incident report.

The cause of death has not yet been established. Police said the autopsy findings would help determine the circumstances.

“We have sent the body to the morgue to determine the cause of death,” Firoz told Waadaa.

News of Tahsif’s death triggered reactions on social media, with some users questioning the circumstances and linking his death to footage of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina fleeing Bangladesh on August 5, 2024, following the July uprising that ousted her.

On August 4, 2025, Daily Amar Desh reported that Tahsif had posted footage of Hasina fleeing the country, recorded by Flight Lieutenant Rifat Ashrafi.

When contacted by the newspaper, Tahsif initially responded: “Which video? I don’t quite understand what you are referring to.”

The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) later said in a statement that Tahsif Souri and Flight Lieutenant Rifat Ashrafi had been retired under the Air Force’s prevailing rules and regulations in an administrative context.

Journalist Sharif Khiam Ahmed Eon also addressed Tahsif’s death in a Facebook post on Thursday. Eon said he had tried several times since 2025 to arrange an interview with Tahsif but had been unable to do so.

They last spoke on August 7, Eon wrote. When he asked Tahsif a question, the former officer replied: “Walking on the edge.”

“Tahsif himself told me he was discharged from the Air Force in September 2024. He confirmed that his alleged involvement in the footage incident led to his current situation. He also mentioned that the pilots who flew Sheikh Hasina out that day were rewarded with good postings, while he lost his career,” Eon wrote.

However, Eon said he had not independently verified the claims and had planned to investigate them through a video interview with Tahsif, which never took place.

Tahsif’s relative, Moshfeka Jahan, alleged in a Facebook post that he had been murdered and monitored by intelligence personnel after his retirement. Former military colleague KSM Intisaar Inzimam also linked his death to the controversy surrounding the footage.

Daily Waadaa could not independently verify these claims.

Tahsif’s family could not immediately be reached for comment.