Former Air Force Officer Found Dead in Turag River
The body of Tahsif (46), a former officer of the Bangladesh Air Force, was recovered by River Police from the Turag River near Rajabari Ghat in the Uttarkhan area on Wednesday, two days after he went missing. Residents initially spotted the floating body around 4:30 PM and alerted the authorities, prompting a response team led by Md. Firoz, Officer-in-Charge of the local River Police, to retrieve it. The deceased had been residing with his family in Sector 18 of Uttara and had voluntarily retired from the Bangladesh Air Force approximately two years before his tragic demise.
According to family members, Mr. Tahsif left his residence on his motorcycle around 10:30 PM on the night of October 27, after which his mobile phone was switched off, and all contact ceased. Upon recovering the body, police retrieved an iPhone and a wallet from his pockets, using his SIM card to contact his relatives and inform them of the situation. Deeply grief-stricken family members rushed to the spot to identify the victim, leaving attendees heartbroken by their distress. When approached by media personnel at the site, the deceased’s cousin declined to elaborate, stating in a tear-choked voice, ‘I am not in a situation or state of mind to speak right now. Please do not ask me anything at this moment.’
Although the body was somewhat swollen from being submerged in water, police noted that an initial inquest revealed no visible injury marks on the deceased. However, the complete disappearance of the motorcycle Mr. Tahsif was riding when he went missing has raised strong suspicions of foul play among investigators and relatives alike. The absence of the vehicle has led authorities to consider various possibilities, including a potential mugging incident, accidental drowning, suicide, or a premeditated homicide where the victim was suffocated before being dumped into the river.
Investigating agencies have initiated a multi-faceted probe to unravel the mystery surrounding the former military officer’s death. Law enforcement officials are analyzing Call Data Records (CDR) from his SIM card to trace his final communications and location, gathering CCTV footage along the Uttara Sector 18 route, and launching searches to locate the missing motorcycle. Commenting on the progress of the investigation, Md. Firoz, Officer-in-Charge of Uttarkhan River Police Station, stated, ‘We recovered the body as soon as we received the news. Although no injury marks were found during the preliminary inquest, it is impossible to confirm the actual cause of death until we receive the autopsy report. We are carrying out the investigation keeping all possibilities in mind.’
Following standard legal procedures, the body was dispatched via ambulance to a government hospital morgue in the capital on Wednesday evening for an autopsy. The tragic news has cast a heavy shadow of grief over the local community, with relatives and citizens urging a swift and thorough technological investigation. Addressing inquiries regarding jurisdictional responsibilities and legal steps, the Officer-in-Charge of Uttarkhan Police Station told Daily Inqilab that while river-related matters fall under the jurisdiction of the River Police, they stand ready to formally accept a case if the deceased’s family wishes to file one.
