Published : 31 Oct 2026, 01:26 AM
Updated : 31 Oct 2026, 01:26 AM
Although three days have passed, police say no case has been filed following the recovery of the body of former Air Force officer Tahsif Souri.
So far, none of the family members have responded to “police urging” to file a case because they do not want the “trouble” associated with it.
Under the circumstances, no police unit has been able to decide who will file the case.
Meanwhile, questions have arisen about what will be done with Ahmed Shahriar Reza Dwip, a younger man Tahsif was friends with and who had been taken into custody for questioning.
Dwip gave one account of the day of the incident to the media on Thursday, and later a different one while in the custody of the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI). Those involved in the investigation see this as his “attempt to hide the incident”.
These investigators say that they cannot take any “concrete” action since there is no case.
PBI Dhaka Metro (North) Additional Deputy Inspector General Md Enayet Hossain Mannan said, “Dwip is in our custody. If the River Police make a decision, we will hand him over to them. Otherwise, we will issue a bond and hand him over to his guardian.”
Tahsif’s father KM Enayetul Karim expressed his “reluctance” to file a case. However, he hopes that the state will unravel the mystery of the incident on its own.
He said, “I will decide on whether to file a case at a later time. Why is a case necessary? I believe that the government will definitely take responsibility in this matter and be very sincere.
“A case means a hassle in our country, a race to the courts. Who wants to get into such a hassle?”
Asked what decision police will take in view of the family's reluctance to file a case, PBI official Enayet said: "The River Police were the first to recover the body. They will take the decision."
"If the family does not come forward, since the River Police have recovered it, they may file a case of unnatural death."
However, Firoz Uddin, inspector of the Tongi Outpost of the River Police, said that although they recovered the body, the incident took place in the area under Uttarkhan Police, meaning they will handle the matter.
Uttarkhan police say that they have not yet taken any decision on the matter. They say they have asked the family to file a case several times, but have received no “response”.
Uttarkhan Police chief Habibur Rahman said, "No case has been filed yet. No one from the family has come to us."
Asked what police will do if the family does not file a case, he said: "We will take whatever action is decided by the police higher-ups. However, no decision or instructions have been made yet.”
Usually, the father, mother, brother, sister, husband, wife, or any other close relative or family member of the deceased files a case at a police station.
According to the Bangladesh Code of Criminal Procedure, for any cognisable crime, any third person, neighbour or eyewitness who is aware of the crime can also file a case at the police station.
If the family does not file a case or it is not possible for some reason, police can usually file a regular case on their own initiative after a crime is reported or visiting the scene.
However, if a body is identified, "although there is no obligation”, families are usually asked to file a case, said PBI Additional DIG Enayet.
He added that if no one is found, police are "forced" to file a case through someone else or as the plaintiff themselves.
"An outsider will not have more sympathy for a person than their parents or brother. He can present witnesses, give a description of the incident, present documents, and provide information about what happened when. He will seek justice in court for his brother or child. If an outsider is the plaintiff, they may not know each other."
He also said that if no one in the family is interested, the case is unlikely to be taken seriously in many cases.
If a case is filed through a proxy, it usually “does not stick” because the plaintiff cannot prioritise it.
The floating remains of Tahsif, who made the news as the person who allegedly shared a video of ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina's departure from Bangladesh, was recovered by the River Police from Rajabari Ghat area of the Turag River on Wednesday afternoon.
He went downstairs from his house on Tuesday evening “after being called away by Dwip” and left the house with his motorcycle.
Dwip had said on Thursday that he had dinner with Tahsif at a restaurant before they separated in the Uttara House Building area.
That night, the PBI took Dwip into custody for questioning from his house on Babar Road in Mohammadpur.
Based on the information he provided, Tahsif's motorcycle was recovered from the Mazar slum area of Tongi on Friday morning.
Dwip also confessed he went with Tahsif at midnight to the area, which is known as a drug hotspot. PBI officials took Dwip to the area on Friday.
Based on the information provided by Dwip, a PBI official said that while the two were in the area late on Tuesday night, a police team chased them. Dwip hid behind a boundary wall on the banks of Turag, while Tahsif jumped into the river.
Dwip allegedly waited for his chance before slipping away and returning to his house around 2:30am.
Asked why the two were there so late, a PBI official said: "We have heard about the matter. It is a bit sensitive. Let's cross-check it a little more."
Additional DIG Enayet said, "If there is a case, we will have a conclusive talk, because everything revolves around the case.
"So far, the bike has been recovered. Beyond that, how and what happened, where or why they went, who went where, all these things are still at the verification stage. We will verify all the information and inform you at a later time."
