Tahsif was murdered, father suspects

KM Enayetul Karim, the father of KM Tahsif Sauri, a former Bangladesh Air Force officer who lost his job prematurely, suspects that his son was the victim of murder; however, he could not say who might have killed him.

Tahsif's body was autopsied at noon today, Thursday. Its report has not yet been received. However, the police's inquest report mentions that no marks of injury were found on the young man's body.

Tahsif, 28, was a flight lieutenant in the Bangladesh Air Force. Tahsif's name came into discussion in 2024 after a video was published of the then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fleeing to India during the 2024 student-people uprising.
KM Enayetul Karim, the father of KM Tahsif Sauri. Agamir Somoy.

Soon after that incident, Tahsif had to leave his job. Tahsif later said that he had been asked to voluntarily retire from the Air Force. And he believed it was because of the video publication incident.

After retiring from the Air Force, Tahsif had worked with the Bangladesh Cricket Board and Netra News, his father KM Enayetul Karim said.

He said that most recently, Tahsif was working as an administration and security officer at an organization named Varg.
Tahsif Sauri, former Bangladesh Air Force officer was found dead in Turag river. File photo.
A few days ago, Tahsif was resting after being injured in a motorcycle accident. He used to live with his family in a flat in Sector 18 of Uttara in Dhaka.

Last Tuesday, Tahsif went out from there and gone missing. A day later, on Wednesday afternoon, his body was found in the Turag River.

After recovering the body, police took it to the morgue of Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital, where after the autopsy, the son's body was handed over to Enayetul Karim around 2:30 pm.

After the recovery of Tahsif's body, various rumors are being floating around. There is a discussion on whether he had committed suicide or had been a homicide victim.
Tahsif's college and Air Force coursemate KSM Intisar Inzimam wrote on Facebook that he sees this as a murder. After the leak of the August 5 video, Tahsif was subjected to defamation in various ways.

Regarding this, Enayetul Karim told journalists, "The question of suicide does not arise at all. Tahsif had an extremely lively personality."

He suspects that Tahsif may have been murdered and the body thrown into the river.
About 10 years ago, he worked very hard to get a commission in the Air Force, his father said, adding that alongside completing various courses, Tahsif was also good at flying.

Although he was his father, Enayetul Karim had a friendly relationship with Tahsif. Therefore, he said he had a good understanding of his son's mental state. That is why he believes Tahsif did not commit suicide.

Although he suspects murder, Tahsif's father could not say anything specific when asked who might be behind it.

With his mother all day, went out in the evening with a friend

Enayetul Karim said that before going missing, Tahsif had been with his mother all day on Tuesday. They went shopping.

He said, "That day Tahsif was with his mother all day. He took his mother shopping. He also bought things for me."After returning home, in the evening Tahsif went out of the house at the call of a person.Enayetul Karim said, "Towards the evening, a person named Deep called him. Then he told his mother that he was going to talk to Deep. After that he did not return home.""He went out saying he would go downstairs to talk to a friend. No one in the family could have imagined that such an incident would happen after he went to meet a friend normally," he said.After Tahsif went missing, his family contacted Deep. However, Deep told them that he had dropped Tahsif near his home that very night.Tahsif's body was recovered on Wednesday afternoon from the Rajabari boat landing area in the Uttarkhan police station area of the capital.Police recovered the body after being informed by locals, said Md. Firoz Uddin, in-charge of the naval police outpost in the Tongi river port area of Gazipur.At that time his identity had not yet been established. His identity was identified from an iPhone in Tahsif's pocket.When the body was recovered, no marks of injury were found on Tahsif's body, according to the police's inquest report.This report, providing an external description of the matter in an unnatural death incident, was prepared by SI Mostafizur Rahman of the Tongi naval police outpost.His report said that the deceased person's height was approximately 5 feet 7 inches. The hair on his head was black, and he had a small black beard and mustache on his face. His eyes and mouth were closed.The inquest report mentioned evidence of bleeding from Tahsif's nose. According to the description, both his hands were bent in front of his head and in a clenched state. His stomach was swollen. No marks of injury were found on the body.The inquest report mentioned that Tahsif was wearing a black full-sleeved cable shirt and white trousers.[Tahsif Sauri. File photo] Tahsif Sauri. File photoWhat Tahsif had said about the videoThe incident of Sheikh Hasina leaving the country and fleeing to India by plane was discussed worldwide. However, only one video of that incident was available, in which she was seen getting into a helicopter. After going to Kurmitola by that helicopter, she was taken to India by a military aircraft.At that time, some claimed that Flight Lieutenant Tahsif himself had made that video. Again, some also claimed that he did not make it, but he published it. He was also portrayed as a spy of India's intelligence agency in a report published in a media outlet.However, taking part in a podcast on July 21 this year, Tahsif dismissed all these as propaganda.He said, "I don't know what their motive is. The report clearly states that I spread the video. But they didn't even say that I shot it. They said that ... someone made the video and that I allegedly spread it."Even if I did make the video or spread it, what is the proof they have—I want to ask that. And it could also be that this is why I am perhaps not in the Air Force today."When asked whether he had to leave the Air Force for spreading the video of Sheikh Hasina's escape, he said, "It could be. Because of the things that happened at that time, I won't say everything or I have some constraints. I think they did this because of these allegations."Tahsif claimed that he had given the release letter on the condition that he would not be harassed afterwards. However, after leaving the job, he had to face socially embarrassing situations.After his body was recovered on Wednesday, members of Tahsif's family also claimed that the young man had been under various forms of pressure since being released from the job. He was being followed.Investigation demanded, home minister awaiting autopsy reportJamaat-e-Islami has expressed concern and anger over the recovery of Tahsif Sauri's body. Raising questions about the role of law enforcement agencies and intelligence agencies in the incident, it demanded a proper investigation, uncovering of the real facts, and ensuring exemplary punishment for those involved.In response to journalists' questions about Tahsif's death, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed told journalists in Rajshahi that he would speak on the matter after learning all aspects of the incident through investigation.Regarding Tahsif's death, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed said, "I do not want to say anything about this yet. Because there has to be a preliminary investigation. And the body's autopsy is being done. After that, we will speak after knowing everything."