Ex-Air Force officer’s death: Father files case, acquaintance Dwip handed over to naval police

The father of former Bangladesh Air Force Flight Lieutenant KM Tahsif Souri has filed a case with Uttarkhan Police Station in connection with his son's death, while his friend and business associate, Ahmed Shahriar Reza Dwip, has been shown arrested in the case and later handed over to the naval police.

KM Enayetul Karim filed the case with the police station on Friday night, two days after Tahsif's body was recovered from the Turag River, said Uttarkhan Police Station Officer-in-Charge Habibur Rahman.

The Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) headquarters confirmed the development on Saturday. PBI sources said Dwip was handed over to the naval police around midnight. The naval police reportedly said they would file an unnatural death case in connection with the incident.

Earlier on Thursday night, the PBI took Dwip into custody from the third floor of a house in Block B of Babar Road in Mohammadpur. He is the son of Selim Reza, a resident of the area.

Dwip had spent nearly six hours with Tahsif before the latter went missing. The PBI began questioning him to gather detailed information about the circumstances surrounding the incident.

On Friday, a PBI investigation team took Dwip to Mazar Basti in Tongi and questioned him about what had happened around boundary pillar No. 29, near the Turag River.

Based on information provided by Dwip, the team recovered a black Suzuki Gixxer 150 motorcycle from the area though it had no number plate. It was suspected to belong to Tahsif, although PBI officials were still verifying its ownership.

During questioning, Dwip gave his account of the night of the incident. He said he and Tahsif had gone to the Mazar Basti area beside the Turag River that night. While they were talking, several people chased them. According to Dwip, two of those pursuing them were wearing police uniforms.

CCTV footage recorded shortly before Tahsif went missing showed him with another person, whom his family identified as Dwip.

The footage shows Tahsif meeting the person in front of a garage at the Rajuk Uttara Apartment Project in Sector 18 of Uttara at around 6:30pm on October 27. The two shook hands before leaving the area on separate motorcycles.

According to family members, Tahsif left home after receiving a call from Dwip. Dwip later told them that they had gone to a workshop after a problem developed with Tahsif's motorcycle.

He reportedly said that after the motorcycle was repaired, they returned home and had a meal together, after which Dwip left.

Police received information about a body floating in the Turag River through the national emergency helpline 999. They later sent the body for an autopsy, and Tahsif's identity was confirmed through an iPhone found in his possession. The cause of death has not yet been established.

His death has also triggered speculation on social media about possible links to footage of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina fleeing Bangladesh on August 5, 2024.

Tahsif was reportedly involved in sharing the footage and was later retired from the Air Force. A journalist, a relative and a former military colleague have linked his death to the controversy surrounding the footage. However, these claims have not been independently verified.