On a cold Wednesday in late October, the river that threads through Dhaka gave up the body of KM Tahsif Souri, a former Bangladesh Air Force officer who had vanished the day before. He had been widely believed to have shared footage that appeared to show Sheikh Hasina leaving the country in August 2024, the day her long rule ended in the wake of mass protests, though that link remains reported rather than proven. His family speaks of murder and harassment, while the authorities have so far said nothing, leaving a silence that now hangs over the water where the answers should be. It arrives as
Former Bangladesh Air Force Officer Linked to Hasina Escape Video Found Dead in Dhaka River
A former Bangladesh Air Force officer was found dead in the Turag River after going missing, and his family alleges murder and harassment; Hasina also alleges mass arrests and torture by the government.
His family has alleged murder and harassment connected to the footage.
Mark
Why does this man's death matter beyond the death itself?
Mimi
Because of what he was reportedly tied to. He was widely believed to have recorded or shared the footage of an aircraft that allegedly showed Hasina leaving on August 5, 2024.
Mark
And his family says what, exactly?
Mimi
They allege murder and harassment over that footage. His body was found in the Turag River on October 28, a day after he went missing.
Luke
I want to separate what's confirmed from what's alleged. The recovery of the body and the timing are reported. The murder claim is the family's. Nothing here gives a cause of death.
Mark
What about the link to the video?
Luke
It says 'reportedly' and 'widely believed.' That's not confirmation that he made or shared it.
Mimi
Fair. And the Home Minister, Salahuddin Ahmed, declined to comment, so there's no official account yet.
Mark
Where does Hasina's statement fit in?
Mimi
She spoke the day before the body was found, alleging mass arrests, torture and extrajudicial killings under Prime Minister Tarique Rahman's government.
Luke
Her statement wasn't about Souri. And her figure of 5,000 to 7,000 arrests a day is her own claim, unverified in this report. Putting the two side by side shouldn't imply a connection the reporting doesn't make.
Mark
So what's the honest takeaway?
Mimi
A death with unanswered questions, a grieving family making serious allegations, and a political backdrop. What's missing is any official explanation.
El Pulso
- A former air force officer went missing and was found dead in the Turag River within a day, and his family is calling it murder.
- He was linked to footage of Sheikh Hasina's exit in August 2024, a connection that raises the stakes of every unanswered question.
- Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed has declined to comment, leaving the cause of death and the circumstances in the river unexplained.
- Hasina claims 5,000 to 7,000 arrests a day and block raids across the country, figures that remain unverified and come from her own statement.
- With her expected return months away, the death lands in a charged climate, and whether any formal inquiry follows is still unknown.
On a cold Wednesday in late October, the river that threads through Dhaka gave up the body of KM Tahsif Souri, a former Bangladesh Air Force officer who had vanished the day before. He had been widely believed to have shared footage that appeared to show Sheikh Hasina leaving the country in August 2024, the day her long rule ended in the wake of mass protests, though that link remains reported rather than proven. His family speaks of murder and harassment, while the authorities have so far said nothing, leaving a silence that now hangs over the water where the answers should be. It arrives as Hasina, from the distance of exile, accuses the government of crushing its rivals, and the question of how one man came to lie in the Turag is left open for the country to answer.
The body of KM Tahsif Souri, a former Flight Lieutenant in the Bangladesh Air Force, was pulled from the Turag River in Dhaka on Wednesday, October 28. He had gone missing only a day earlier. He was widely believed to have recorded or shared footage of a military aircraft in August 2024, video that allegedly showed Sheikh Hasina leaving Bangladesh on August 5, the day she was ousted after anti-government protests. The report presents that link as believed rather than established.
His family alleges murder and harassment tied to the footage. The report offers no findings on how he died or how he ended up in the river, and no official account or investigation details have been given. Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed declined to comment.
The death comes as Hasina, who is expected to return to Bangladesh in the coming months, issued a statement the day before the body was found. Posted by the Awami League, it accuses the government of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman of mass arrests, torture, false cases and extrajudicial killings. She claims 5,000 to 7,000 people are arrested daily and describes the government as having won power through a rigged election. Those figures are hers alone and are not independently verified in this report.
What remains to be seen is whether authorities explain Souri's death and whether the family's allegations prompt a formal inquiry. For now, the government has not responded on either question.
The body of KM Tahsif Souri, a former Flight Lieutenant in the Bangladesh Air Force, was recovered from the Turag River in Dhaka on Wednesday, October 28. He had gone missing a day earlier.
Souri was widely believed to have recorded or shared footage of a military aircraft in August 2024. That video allegedly showed Sheikh Hasina, then the Prime Minister, leaving Bangladesh on August 5, 2024, the day she was ousted after anti-government protests. The report describes his link to the video as reported and widely believed, not as established.
His family has alleged murder and harassment connected to the footage. Those allegations raise questions about the circumstances of his death, though the report offers no findings on how he died or how he came to be in the river. No cause of death, investigation details or official account are given.
Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed declined to comment after the body of the retired officer was recovered.
The death comes months before Hasina is expected to return to Bangladesh, according to the report. It also comes amid sharp public accusations from her against the current government.
On Tuesday, a day before Souri's body was found, Hasina issued a statement posted on social media by the Bangladesh Awami League. She accused the government, led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, of suppressing political opponents. In her words, today's Bangladesh is a country of mass arrests, mass searches, torture, false cases, extrajudicial killings and human rights violations, with no law, no rights and no public security.
Hasina said law enforcement agencies were conducting block raids and mass searches in various areas across the country, including Gopalganj. She claimed that between 5,000 and 7,000 people are being arrested every day. The report does not independently verify that figure, and it comes from Hasina herself.
She also said Bangladeshis need to be guaranteed their basic rights and legal protection. She described the government as having come to power through a rigged election and said it had embarked on a mission to eliminate the Awami League from the country.
What remains to be seen is whether authorities explain how Souri died, and whether the family's allegations lead to any formal inquiry. The government has not yet responded on either point.
Citas Notables
Today's Bangladesh is a country of mass arrests, mass searches, torture, false cases, extrajudicial killings and human rights violations.— Sheikh Hasina, in a statement posted by the Bangladesh Awami League
Declined to comment after the body was recovered.— Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed (paraphrased)
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