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Mystery surrounds the death of former Bangladesh Air Force flight lieutenant KM Tahsif Souri, who is believed to have recorded the viral video that showed former prime minister Shekh Hasina fleeing Bangladesh amid the student uprising in 2024. The discovery of Souri's body in a river in Dhaka has drawn renewed attention to his sudden exit from the Air Force and allegations of his links with India's spy agency, RAW. Months before his death, Souri addressed these issues in an explosive podcast and also questioned the government's handling of the 2025 fighter jet crash at a school that left over 35 dead.
The body of the former Bangladesh Air Force officer was found floating in the Turag River in Dhaka on October 28, over 24 hours after he went missing. Souri left his home on October 27 with a friend to repair his motorcycle but never returned. The 28-year-old's father and cousin have alleged that he was murdered, according to a report in Dhaka Tribune. While the police have remained tight-lipped, Souri's controversial past has come under renewed scrutiny.
For the report, we have scoured through past reports in Bangladeshi media and tried to piece together the circumstances in which he was dismissed from service in August 2024, days after Hasina fled to India.
THE SHEIKH HASINA VIDEO CONTROVERSY
Souri first drew public attention over his reported role in recording and circulating the footage of Hasina leaving Bangladesh on August 5, 2024. Hasina fled to India as her Awami League government collapsed amid violent student-led protests, which left over 500 dead.
The video circulated widely on social media, prompting questions about who had recorded and released it.
Interestingly, days after the video, Souri was dismissed from service in September 2024. The Bangladesh Air Force, however, said it was not linked to the recording and sharing of the Hasina video.
Souri's father said the family was told that his son was dismissed over disciplinary issues. However, the family doubted the explanation, pointing to his exemplary service record and nearly 200 hours of flying experience. His family said becoming a pilot was Souri's childhood dream.
After his dismissal, Souri worked with several organisations, including the Bangladesh Cricket Board and Netra News. He had recently started a security guard supply business.
Life had begun to return to normal for Souri before he found himself back in the headlines last year in August.
INDIA SPY ALLEGATIONS AND EXPLOSIVE PODCAST
A report published in Amar Desh, a newspaper affiliated with the Jamaat-e-Islami, identified Souri and another Air Force officer, Lieutenant Rifat Ashrafi, as the ones behind the Hasina video. The newspaper, which was shut down by the Hasina government, was relaunched in December 2024. It is owned by journalist Mahmudur Rahman.
The newspaper also alleged that an investigation into the video by the Air Force revealed links between officials within the department and India's spy agency, RAW, according to a report in bdnews24. Souri's name was among those mentioned in the report. Following this, his passport was reportedly seized by the government.
However, the allegations were swiftly rebutted by Bangladesh's Inter-Services Public Relations Directorate (ISPR). The ISPR also rejected claims that his dismissal from service was linked to a "foreign intelligence agency".
It said the two officers were retired through due process under the Air Force's existing laws and regulations under different circumstances.
Despite the ISPR statement, Souri's family claimed he was facing harassment. A colleague told Dhaka Tribune that Souri faced social pressure following the allegations in Amar Desh.
Earlier this year in July, Souri appeared in a podcast named 'Speak With Rashid'. When asked whether he lost his job in the Air Force for recording the Hasina video, Souri replied, "could be".
He also said the Amar Desh report on his alleged RAW links was nothing but propaganda. "The report Amar Desh published was actually serving some sort of propaganda," Souri said.
The former Air Force officer also raised questions about the investigation into the fighter jet crash on July 21, 2025. A Bangladesh Air Force Chengdu FT-7BGI training fighter jet crashed into the Milestone School and College campus, killing 37, including students, and leaving over 170 injured.
Souri's father, Enayetul Karim Helal, told Jago News that his son had sometimes expressed fears about his safety since the podcast went viral. "He would sometimes tell me that he was feeling a little apprehensive. But he never told me what he was worried about," Helal said.
SHEIKH HASINA'S SON RAISES QUESTIONS ON DEATH
In a hard-hitting post, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, the son of Hasina, said Souri was the victim of a propaganda campaign.
"A year earlier, Turkish citizenship holder Mahamudur Rahman's propaganda machinery labelled him as a foreign operative. In the recent podcast, the now-deceased decorated air force officer... explained how that Amar Desh-backed propaganda ruined his career and made his life miserable," Wazed tweeted.
Wazed said Souri also unravelled a series of anomalies inside the Air Force after the 2025 crash, including lack of maintenance of fighter jets.
"He also expressed fear for his life as he expressed some startling revelations inside the Air Force that often are wrapped in secrecy. He questioned the investigation surrounding the Milestone School crash, and raised doubts over the casualty toll that the Yunus regime sought to hide," he said.
Wazed also claimed that even after Souri's death, Jamaat activists doubled down on their bid to establish "Mahamudur Rahman's propaganda". "The motive behind the desperate bid to reiterate false charges involving the officer appears to be to block a fair investigation and further vilify the Awami League," he said.
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