Mystery shrouds over death of Tahsif Souri

A possible police chase, an abandoned motorcycle without a number plate and conflicting accounts from the lone companion have emerged as investigators attempt to unravel the mysterious death of former Bangladesh Air Force Flight Lieutenant KM Tahsif Souri, whose body was recovered from the Turag River.

According to the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI), Tahsif jumped into the river while fleeing a chase near Tongi’s Mazar slum. However, investigators are yet to establish who pursued him, why the two men were in the area and what happened in the moments before he disappeared.

The latest account came from Ahmed Shahriar Reza Dwip, described as Tahsif’s “friend-like younger brother”, who was taken to the scene by PBI investigators to reconstruct the events.

Dwip reportedly told investigators that people wearing police uniforms chased them. He hid behind a Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority boundary marker numbered 29, while Tahsif jumped into the river. Dwip later escaped and returned home at around 2:30am. But investigators are treating his account cautiously and cross-checking his statements.

“Dwip has said a lot, and we are verifying everything,” said Additional Deputy Inspector General Md Enayet Hossain Mannan of PBI Dhaka Metro North, adding that investigators were trying to identify the alleged pursuers.

The circumstances surrounding the motorcycle have added another layer to the investigation. On Friday morning, PBI recovered a Suzuki Gixxer SF without a number plate from Mazar slum, approximately 50 yards from the river.

Local tea-stall owner Jubaida Begum said the motorcycle had remained parked near her shop for two days without anyone claiming it. Police have yet to conclusively establish its ownership, although Tahsif was reportedly using the motorcycle.

The location is particularly significant. Tahsif's body was recovered near Rajabari Ghat under Uttarkhan Police Station, while the motorcycle was found in an area under Tongi West Police Station. The two locations are connected by the Turag River.

Investigators believe the river's current, particularly during high tide, may explain how his body travelled towards Uttarkhan. Tongi West Police Station Officer-in-Charge Mostafizur Rahman said police had also received information that Tahsif jumped into the river while being chased. “We are investigating which police team chased them and why,” he said.

The area around Mazar slum is known as a drug hotspot. Asked why Tahsif and Dwip were there late at night, a PBI officer said investigators had obtained information but needed to verify it because of its sensitive nature.

PBI has also sought to determine whether drugs were involved in the incident. Mannan said the post-mortem examination would help establish whether the men had consumed drugs.

The case is formally being investigated by River Police, while PBI is conducting a parallel inquiry and assisting investigators because of the incident's national significance.

The central questions remain unanswered: who chased the two men, why Tahsif entered the river, whether anyone witnessed his final moments and how his motorcycle came to be abandoned near the riverbank.