Autopsy to Determine Cause of Ex-BAF Officer’s Death

The cause of death of retired Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) Flight Lieutenant Tahsif Souri will be determined after the preliminary investigation and autopsy are completed, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed said on Thursday.

“Once we receive the post-mortem report and examine all relevant aspects, we will be able to provide further details,” he told reporters after attending a programme at the parade ground of the Bangladesh Police Academy in Sardah, Rajshahi.

The minister said it would not be possible to confirm the cause of death before the investigation and autopsy were completed.

Referring to the law and order situation, he said the government was identifying and arresting suspects, investigating crimes and ensuring that cases proceeded to trial. However, he acknowledged that there could be exceptions in some cases.

He also claimed that since the BNP assumed office, there had been no extrajudicial killings by law enforcement agencies, bomb attacks or deaths in custody.

Earlier on Thursday, River Police recovered the body of Souri from the Turag River in Dhaka.

Inspector Firoz Uddin of the River Police’s Tongi outpost said they received information through the national emergency service 999 and recovered the floating body from the Rajabari Ghat area of the river at around 4:30pm on Wednesday.

“We found a mobile phone with him and identified him through the phone,” he said.

Shahinur Zaman, duty officer at Uttarkhan Police Station, said the Tongi River Police outpost had recovered the body on Wednesday afternoon. As the area fell under the jurisdiction of the River Police, its members went to the scene and took custody of the body.

Inspector Firoz Uddin said there were no visible injury marks on the body.

The body was sent to Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital for an autopsy to determine the cause of death.

According to the River Police’s preliminary report, Souri was wearing white pyjamas and a black shirt. He had a wristwatch on his wrist and an iPhone in his pocket.

Souri reportedly recorded a video that circulated on August 5, 2024, showing then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina leaving Bangladesh by aircraft from Kurmitola Airport.