Bangladesh Ex-Officer Found Dead Months After Explosive 'Hasina Video' Podcast

A former Bangladesh air force officer, who had allegedly uploaded a video of ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina leaving the country in 2024, was found dead on Wednesday under mysterious circumstances.The body of KM Tahsif Souri, clad in a black shirt and a pair of white trousers, was recovered from the Turag River on October 28, a day after he went missing. River police found the 28-year-old's body after receiving a call through the national emergency helpline at around 4:30 pm near the Rajabari Ghat in Dhaka's Uttarkhan area.Tahsif's death has raised concerns about the safety of people in Bangladesh, with his family alleging that he was being harassed since the video of the former prime minister was posted and had been killed because of that.The death has also brought back to light the questions that were asked when Tahsif was dismissed from service after Amar Desh, a fringe group Jamaat-e-Islami-affiliated newspaper, falsely reported in August last year that the officer was a spy for India's intelligence agency R&AW. Following this, his passport was seized for two years by the government.More recently - a few months ago - the officer appeared on a podcast where he spoke directly against the newspaper, though he hinted at much more that he ultimately chose not to disclose.Tahsif is also believed to be the man behind recording the video of Sheikh Hasina fleeing Bangladesh on August 5, 2024, in a military helicopter. However, his family has alleged that he had merely posted the video as an ordinary citizen.READ | Ex-Bangladesh Minister Sentenced To Death For 6 Murders During 2024 UprisingLeft Home In Evening, Never ReturnedAccording to Tahsif's family, who spoke to Bangladesh-based newspaper Prothom Alo, the former air force flight lieutenant had spent the day shopping with his mother. In the evening, he received a call from a close friend and went out with him.Thereafter, repeated calls to him went unanswered.READ | Sheikh Hasina Accuses Bangladesh Government Of Conducting "Mass Arrests", "Torture"Later that night, around 1:35 am, Tahsif texted his mother he was coming home. However, he never came back. Police found his body the next day, floating in the river.His father, Enayetul Karim, told Prothom Alo newspaper that there was no reason for his son to go in the area where his body was found.Meanwhile, the friend that Tahsif went out with told his family that the both had dinner together on Tuesday night. He then dropped Tahsif near his home and left for his house.Cousin Alleges MurderWhile police have not confirmed the reason for Tahsif's death, his cousin Moshfeka Jahan said he was killed because of the video of Sheikh Hasina.In a post written in Bengali on Facebook, Jahan alleged, "My brother was murdered. What was his fault? Sharing the video of Hasina fleeing? He did not even record it himself; he shared it as a citizen. One of his colleagues had recorded it."She claimed Tahsif was being constantly harassed over the video. "They were not satisfied even after sending him into retirement and subjecting him to mental torture day after day. They had to kill him," she wrote in the post.Sheikh Hasina was brought to India by the Bangladesh military in a Bangladeshi military aircraft in June 2024 after her government was ousted following violent protests in Bangladesh, and has since been living in exile in India. Tahsif's death comes weeks before the former prime minister, who has been sentenced to death in absentia, plans to returns to her country.READ | Sheikh Hasina's Regime Change Was Planned Days Before Her Ouster: Yunus AideAn Explosive PodcastOn July 21, a channel named 'Speak With Rashid' released a video titled 'Milestone Tragedy: Inside the Bangladesh Air Force'. In addition to the Milestone Tragedy, Tahsif answered the host's questions at the end of the video, including the leaked video of Sheikh Hasina's departure.At one point in the podcast, he said, "There are two types of people in the world. Those who wanted to rise and those who were able to rise. If you or you fall into the second category, you can consider yourself lucky. There is no greater pride than dying for a noble cause, and there can be no greater cause than dying for your country."Months later, he was found dead.Tahsif's body was initially recovered as an unidentified man. An iPhone in his pocket confirmed his identity, while a wristwatch was also recovered from his possession.His body was sent for autopsy at the Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital in Dhaka.