Actor Ashraful Haque Don Remanded in Decades-Old Murder Case of Iconic Film Star Salman Shah
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The decades-long mystery surrounding the 1996 death of iconic Bangladeshi film star Salman Shah has gained momentum following the recent arrest of actor Ashraful Haque, commonly known as Don, in connection with the actor’s alleged murder. The 54-year-old actor was apprehended at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka while attempting to depart for Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah.
Salman Shah, born Chowdhury Mohammad Shahriyar Emon on September 19, 1971, in Zakiganj, Sylhet, was a defining figure in the Bangladeshi film industry. He was found dead in his New Eskaton residence in Dhaka on September 6, 1996, at the age of 25. While initial investigations and multiple subsequent probes, including those by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI), consistently categorized the death as suicide, the actor’s family has maintained for nearly 30 years that he was murdered.
Following a long-standing legal battle led by his mother, Neela Chowdhury, a Dhaka court ordered the registration of a formal murder case on October 21, 2023. The case names 11 individuals, including Salman Shah’s widow, Samira Haque, her mother Latifa Haque Lucy, and actor Don. Other accused include Aziz Mohammad Bhai, David, Javed, Farooq, Ruby, A. Sattar, Saju, and Rezvi Ahmed, also known as Farhad.
During a hearing following his arrest, state prosecutor Omar Faruk Farooqui informed the court that the murder was allegedly part of a pre-planned conspiracy. Citing evidence from a 1997 kidnapping case involving the actor’s brother, Farooqui alleged that the accused had orchestrated the killing for a payment of 1.2 million taka, claiming the perpetrators sedated the actor before staging a hanging to frame the death as suicide. The court subsequently denied bail for Don and ordered him into judicial custody to facilitate further interrogation by the CID.
The investigation into the case is now being conducted by the CID. Lead investigators are currently focusing on the apprehension of the remaining fugitives. The plaintiff in the case, Alamgir Kumkum, the actor’s maternal uncle, expressed cautious optimism regarding the arrest, demanding a transparent investigation to uncover the full truth behind the tragedy.
From London, Neela Chowdhury lauded the current progress of the case. She remains steadfast in her pursuit of justice, identifying Samira Haque and her mother, Latifa Haque Lucy, as key figures who have yet to be brought to account. She expressed hope that the detention of Don will serve as a catalyst for unraveling the conspiracy that led to her son’s death.
The case has been marked by repeated legal challenges. After years of the death being labeled an “unnatural death,” the judicial investigation reports filed in 2014 and the PBI report in 2020—which insisted upon the suicide theory—were challenged by the family. The family’s persistent rejection of these findings ultimately led to the court’s decision to elevate the case to a formal homicide investigation, marking a significant departure from nearly three decades of investigative consensus.
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