Shabnur rejects PBI report involving her with Salman's 'suicide'

Film star Shabnur, whose relationship with actor Salman Shah was termed as one of the reasons behind his 'suicide' by Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI), protested against the PBI's conclusion.

“I object to the allegation. Why is my name being involved? Even if Salman committed suicide, why would he do that for me? Everyone should think twice before taking my name in the matter,” said Shabnur.

The popular actress of 1990s was talking to Prothom Alo from Australia on Monday.

According to the PBI reports, Salman committed suicide due to family dispute over his infatuation for Shabnur.

“I find it very objectionable that someone linked my name with a person who is long dead,” Shabnur said.

“Salman was just a co-actor and good friend. There was no other relationship between us. I told you before; he was an elder brother to me. I respected him that way. A very healthy relationship. I will never buy such allegations from anyone,” she added.
The actress despised such attempts of defaming her strongly at the time.

“I was single at the time while Salman was married. I was in a good term with his wife Samira. Had we ever involved in any illegitimate affair, his family would have known it,” the actress explained.

“I don’t find it a healthy practice to spread rumour of such kind,” she added.

Earlier in an interview with Prothom Alo Shabnur once said, Salman Shah loved her like a younger sister as he did not have one. He used to call her ‘Picchi’ (Kiddo).

She said, Salman asked her to teach dancing as he was weak in dancing sometimes.

Shabnur also said at the time, Salman was very humble and kind to his co-actors, a very selfless actor.

Prothom Alo asked her how and when she got the news of his death. Shabnur said somebody called her and said he was no more.

“I didn’t believe it in the beginning. Then my younger sister went out and confirmed his death. I was in shock. I went to see Salman for the last time in BFDC (Bangladesh Film Development Corporation),” Shabnoor added.

The popular film star in the 1990s mysteriously died on 6 September 1996 at the age of 25.

His father Kamaruddin Chowdhury had filed an unnatural death case which he later turned into a murder case when a certain Rizvi Ahmed was arrested from the house of Salman’s mother, who confessed that he had killed Salman with the help of Salman’s wife and mother-in-law and eight other accomplices.

Rizvi, however, later disowned his confession given before the police.

The Detective Branch, Criminal Investigation Department of police (CID), and a judicial probe body investigated the case separately and submitted their reports that Salman’s death was a case of unnatural death, which Salman Shah’s family rejected.

Rejecting the CID report, Salman's father Kamaruddin Ahmed Chowdhury filed a revision petition in the Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court.

The case was sent for judicial inquiry on 19 May 2003.

About 12 years later, on 3 August 2014, a judicial inquiry report was submitted where Salman Shah’s death was referred to as ‘suicide’.

Salman’s mother Neela Chowdhury filed a revision petition in the Metropolitan Sessions Judge Court on 19 April 2015.

On 21 August 2016, judge Imrul Kayes of Dhaka’s Special Judge-6 directed the PBI to investigate the case.

Finally, the PBI revealed the investigation report at a press briefing held at its office on Monday.