Hasina Escape Video-Linked Officer Found Dead: What We Know About Tahsif Souri’s Death and RAW Allegations

The body of KM Tahsif Souri, 28, a former Bangladesh Air Force flight lieutenant was recovered from the Turag River in Dhaka on Wednesday, a day after he left home to meet a friend. His family has alleged murder, while police have not yet established the cause of death.

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Souri came into the spotlight after a video purportedly showing Sheikh Hasina leaving Bangladesh by helicopter on August 5, 2024, went viral. He had publicly denied recording or circulating the footage, and his death has revived disputed allegations linking him to India’s external intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW).

What happened to Tahsif Souri?

• Tuesday evening: Souri left his home in Dhaka’s Uttara area after receiving a call from his friend, Ahmed Shahriar Reza Dwip. CCTV footage showed the two leaving the building on separate motorcycles, according to Souri’s father, KM Enayetul Karim Helal.
• 1:35 am Wednesday: Souri sent a message to his mother saying, "Mommy, I’m coming." He never returned home.
• Wednesday: His body was recovered near Rajabari Ghat. Police also found his motorcycle near the river.
• Thursday night: The Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) took Dwip into custody for questioning.

Souri’s father has alleged that he was murdered and his body dumped in the river. According to a Dhaka Tribune report, PBI sources are examining the possibility of strangulation, but the preliminary inquest found no visible external injuries. The findings of the medical examination are awaited.

Why was Souri linked to Hasina's escape video?

Souri became part of the controversy after footage purportedly showing Hasina’s departure from Bangladesh went viral. Hasina left the country on August 5, 2024, as her government collapsed amid widespread student-led protests.

In August 2025, the Bangladeshi newspaper Amar Desh named Souri and another Air Force officer, Rifat Ashrafi, in connection with the recording and circulation of the video. The newspaper also alleged that an internal inquiry had found links between Air Force personnel and RAW.

However, Souri rejected the allegations during a July 2026 interview on the podcast Speak with Rashid. He challenged those accusing him of filming or circulating the footage to provide evidence.

"Even if I recorded the video or circulated it, what proof do they have? I want to ask that," he said.

His cousin, Moshfeka Jahan, separately claimed that another officer had recorded the video and that Souri had only shared it. Her account has not been independently verified.

Did Souri have links to RAW?

Souri dismissed the allegations of him having any links to RAW and accused Amar Desh of running a propaganda campaign against him. "If I were linked to RAW, why would I be in Bangladesh? If I were linked to RAW, why would I speak publicly?" he had asked.

Bangladesh’s Inter-Services Public Relations Directorate (ISPR) also rejected reports that Souri and another officer were removed from service over alleged links with a foreign intelligence agency. It said both had retired under existing Air Force rules and that their departures were unrelated to the allegations.

Asked whether the controversy over Hasina’s departure video had cost him his job, Souri replied, "Could be." He did not elaborate on the circumstances of his departure.

In the same podcast, Souri also questioned the investigation into the July 21, 2025, Bangladesh Air Force fighter jet crash at Milestone School and College in Dhaka. The crash killed 37 people, including students, and injured more than 170 others.

How has Sheikh Hasina's son reacted?

Hasina’s son, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, questioned the circumstances of Souri’s death in a post on X. He accused Amar Desh and its editor, Mahmudur Rahman, of running a propaganda campaign against the former officer.

Joy alleged that the claims portraying Souri as a foreign operative had damaged his career and personal life. He also alleged that Jamaat-linked activists were continuing to circulate the espionage accusations after Souri’s death.

What happens next?

Police are verifying Dwip's account of the places he and Souri visited before the body was recovered. Investigators are also awaiting the post-mortem report to establish the cause of death.

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