Twenty-nine years after the death of Dhallywood’s beloved actor Salman Shah, a Dhaka court has finally ordered the revival and trial of the murder case.
The order was issued by Dhaka’s Sixth Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge Jannatul Ferdous Ibne Haque, who directed the case to be investigated under Ramna Police Station.
Salman Shah died on 6 September 1996. For decades, there has been speculation over the real cause of his death, yet no effective steps were taken for an investigation.
Following this new order, Salman’s uncle, Alamgir Kumkum, has filed a murder case with Ramna Police, naming Salman’s former wife Samira Haque, actor Don Haque, and nine others as accused.
Salman’s family has always been claiming that he was murdered in a planned manner. His mother, Neela Chowdhury, had long alleged that when the family tried to file a murder case, police registered it as a case of unnatural death instead, promising that if evidence of homicide surfaced during the investigation, it would automatically be treated as a murder case.
Since his death, Salman’s family’s suspicions have consistently been focused on his wife Samira, an allegation she has always denied. Last year, Samira spoke openly about her ex-husband’s death in a video interview, saying, “Those who commit suicide don’t announce it… It is suicide.”
In response to Neela Chowdhury’s accusations, Samira said, “When a child commits suicide in a home, do the parents get taken into remand? Then why me?” Presenting her side, she claimed that Salman was “suicidal by nature.”
In Samira’s words, “He had tried to take his own life three times before — twice there are records at Metropolitan Hospital, and another time at a different hospital. All three incidents occurred before our marriage. Once after a quarrel with his mother, once over marrying me, and once for personal reasons.”
He had attempted suicide three times before — there is evidence of two attempts in Metropolitan Hospital’s records, and another in a different hospital. All three incidents happened before our marriage, once after a quarrel with his mother, once over marrying me, and once for personal reasons.”
Meanwhile, Samira was in contact with Prothom Alo’s reporter up until the latest court order directing the case to be proceeded as a murder trial. However, now she has been missing for the past four days. The phone number she used is found switched off, and she is unreachable via calls or WhatsApp. Similarly, Don Haque, one of the other accused, has also not responded to the repeated phone calls and text messages sent over the past few days.
Salman Shah burst onto the Dhallywood scene in the early 1990s and became a superstar in just four years, starring in 27 films. To fans and critics alike, he was a brilliant, radiant figure, a true cinematic icon. Nearly three decades after his death, his name still evokes deep affection. Following the court’s order and revival of the case, fans have expressed renewed hope and excitement, eager to finally uncover the truth behind his mysterious death.
According to eyewitness accounts, the news of Salman Shah’s death spread on 6 September 1996. The previous day, he had been busy with dubbing work for the film ‘Prem Piyashi’ at the FDC (Film Development Corporation), where actress Shabnur was present already. That day, Salman had reportedly called his father, asking him to bring Samira to the studio.
Upon arriving at FDC with her father-in-law, Samira saw Salman and Shabnur chatting playfully in the dubbing room. Several entertainment magazines of the time had published stories about the pair, and Samira became visibly upset to see them together. After Salman’s father left, Samira quickly got into their car. Realising the situation was ‘tense’, Salman and film director Badol Khondokar also got into the same car.
However, Samira did not speak to Salman in the car while, Badol Khondokar tried to calm her down. As the car reached the main gate of FDC, Salman and Badol got out and chatted for a while there. Afterwards, Salman and Badol returned to the dubbing room, but the session was cancelled for the day. Around 11:00 pm, Badol dropped Salman off at his New Eskaton Road residence.
Various accounts about the events of that night had surfaced later, though none were confirmed by the eyewitness accounts. Film director Shah Alam had stated that Salman had been under considerable mental stress towards the end. Strained family relationships and misunderstandings with producers had placed him under mental pressure. He had also been temporarily banned by the film association for a period of time.