River police investigating Tahsif case; motorcycle found 50 yards from where body was recovered

The case filed over the death of former air force officer Tahsif Souri is being investigated by the river police. Because the incident is nationally significant, the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) is conducting a shadow investigation and assisting the river police.

PBI police superintendent Abu Yusuf confirmed this on Friday (30 October). He said the PBI is working alongside other police units to assist the river police, and all information obtained is being handed over to the river police.

Meanwhile, a motorcycle has been recovered as new evidence in the case. It was found in the Mazar Basti area, about 50 yards from the spot in the river where Tahsif's body was recovered.

PBI chief Additional IGP Mostafa Kamal said on Friday morning: 'We have recovered Tahsif's motorcycle from near the scene.' PBI officers said it is still being verified whether the motorcycle belonged to the victim.

In this case, the PBI has taken into custody Dip, who was like a younger brother and friend of Tahsif. Late on Thursday night (29 October), the PBI detained Dip from the third floor of a house in Block B on Babar Road in Mohammadpur police station area, and took him into custody. Dip is the son of Selim Reza, a resident of that area.

On Friday morning, PBI chief Mostafa Kamal said the investigation is ongoing and many people are being questioned in its interest. A police officer said Dip was taken into custody for questioning over Tahsif's death.

Additional IGP Mostafa Kamal added: 'After taking Dip into custody, we have received quite a bit of information.' He declined to disclose that information for now, in the interest of the investigation.

CCTV footage from before Tahsif went missing shows him with one person, whom family members identified as his friend Dip. The footage shows that at around 6:30 pm on 27 October, in front of a garage at the RAJUK Uttara Apartment Project in Sector 18 of Uttara in the capital, Tahsif met that person. After shaking hands, they left on two separate motorcycles.

According to the family, Tahsif had left home in response to a call from Dip. Dip told journalists that, because Tahsif's motorcycle had a problem, they went to a workshop. After the motorcycle was repaired, they returned home and ate. Dip claimed he then went back to his own home. Dip had spent about six hours with Tahsif before he went missing.

Earlier, on Wednesday (28 October) at around 4:30 pm, police went to the spot after reports of a body floating in the Turag river. Members of the Tongi river police outpost later recovered the body from the Rajabari Ghat area. The body was identified as Tahsif Souri's from a wristwatch and an iPhone found in a pocket.

The next day, Thursday, a post-mortem was conducted at Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital. His janaza was held at 4:35 pm at the central mosque of the RAJUK Uttara Apartment Project in Sector 18, Uttara, and he was later buried at the graveyard in Sector 12, Uttara.

No final conclusion has yet been reached on the cause of Tahsif's death. His father, K M Enayetul Karim, has expressed doubt about his son's death and raised fears of murder.