Politics1 min read

Former Bangladesh air force officer linked to Hasina escape video found dead

By · Via Times of India · Published by Everything Blog

In short

The body of 28-year-old former flight lieutenant Tahsif Souri was pulled from the Turag River just hours after he failed to return from an outing with an acquaintance. While an initial inquest showed no signs of external trauma apart from bleeding from his nose, his remains have been transferred to Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College for a full autopsy. Officials are withholding formal conclusions regarding his death or his connection to the controversial footage until forensic reports are finalized. Prior to his death, Tahsif had publicly addressed allegations regarding his military dismissal and foreign intelligence ties during a podcast appearance.

Key points

  • Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed declined to confirm Tahsif's role in the escape video unti…: Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed declined to confirm Tahsif's role in the escape video until official probe results are delivered.
  • The military previously denied that disciplinary actions leading to Tahsif's compulsory r…: The military previously denied that disciplinary actions leading to Tahsif's compulsory retirement were connected to the recording of Hasina's departure.
  • In a prior interview, Tahsif firmly rejected claims that he served as an operative for th…: In a prior interview, Tahsif firmly rejected claims that he served as an operative for the Indian intelligence agency RAW.

Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1

DHAKA: A former Bangladesh air force officer, reportedly linked to a video purportedly showing Sheikh Hasina fleeing the country on Aug 5, 2024, has been found dead near a river in Dhaka, with police saying an inquest report has found no external injury marks, though blood was seen coming out from his nose.

The body of former flight lieutenant Tahsif Souri (28) - "compulsorily retired" from service a year after the fall of Hasina govt - was recovered from Turag River Wednesday, a day after he went missing.

Talking to reporters, home minister Salahuddin Ahmed said he would issue a comment after initial probe and autopsy findings. He did not comment when asked if Tahsif had shot the video.

Police said Tahsif's body was sent for autopsy to Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College. His father KM Enayetul Karim Helal claimed an acquaintance, Dwip, took Tahsif out on Tuesday evening. "Tahsif sent his mother a message round 1:30am Wednesday, saying he would return home. But he never did" said Helal.

During a podcast interview, Tahsif dismissed as propaganda a 2024 media report…

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