Actor Don Haque arrested at Dhaka airport in connection with Salman Shah murder case

DHAKA — Actor Don Haque, a suspect in the long-standing murder case of popular Bangladeshi film star Salman Shah, was arrested by police on Sunday at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka.

Officer-in-Charge of Airport Police Station Kamrul Hasan Talukdar confirmed the arrest, stating that Haque was apprehended while attempting to board a flight to Saudi Arabia for Umrah. The actor’s name appeared on an immigration stop list, prohibiting him from leaving the country due to his involvement in the ongoing legal proceedings. Following his detention at approximately 6:00 a.m., he was handed over to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

Golam Benazir, Special Superintendent of CID’s Dhaka Metro West division, confirmed that Haque is among the 11 individuals named in the Salman Shah murder case. Last year, a court imposed a travel ban on all suspects involved. The investigating officer had formally notified airport authorities to prevent any suspects listed in the case from departing Bangladesh.

The case originated following a court order last year by Judge Jannatul Ferdous Ibne Haque of the Dhaka Sixth Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge’s Court, which directed that the death of Salman Shah be treated as a murder investigation nearly 29 years after the incident. Previous probes conducted by various agencies, including the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI), had concluded the death was a suicide. However, the actor’s family and fanbase rejected those findings, leading to sustained public controversy.

On October 21 of last year, the victim’s maternal uncle, Mohammad Alamgir, filed a murder case at Ramna Police Station. The complaint named 11 defendants, including Salman Shah’s former wife, Samira Haque, and actor Don Haque.

The investigation into the death has faced years of public scrutiny regarding the quality and transparency of previous inquiries. The case is currently under the jurisdiction of the CID, which is tasked with conducting a fresh investigation into the circumstances surrounding the actor’s death.