A Dhaka court on Monday rejected the bail petition of actor Ashraful Haque Don in the murder case of Salman Shah.
Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) Manjurul Islam passed the order, confirmed by Don’s lawyer, Md Mofizul Islam.
Seeking bail, Don’s lawyer argued that his client was not involved in Salman Shah’s death, was completely blameless, and had been entangled in the case unnecessarily to harass him.
He added that Don knew nothing about the incident, would not abscond if released on bail, and would provide appropriate guarantors in accordance with court directions.
The bail petition highlighted grounds including Don’s long detention in jail, physical illness, and his status as the sole earning member of his family.
Moreover, the defence cited two inquest reports, two autopsy reports, a viscera report, and a chemical report, contending that a review of the evidence demonstrates that Salman Shah committed suicide.
The defence lawyer noted that although the inquest report mentioned black marks under both of Salman Shah’s ears, five separate investigations conducted by multiple agencies over time found no truth in the allegations against the accused.
He added that after the plaintiff submitted no-confidence petitions, the Detective Branch (DB) and subsequently the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) conducted probes and found no substance in the charges, which led to a revision being filed.
Speaking to journalists following the hearing, the defence lawyer said, “Don plays the villain in films purely for cinematic requirements. As a movie requires a hero, it similarly requires a villain. Don acts as a villain on screen, in real life he is a good person.”
He claimed that Don is currently the victim of a “media trial”.
Opposing the bail plea, State Prosecutor Shamsuddoha Sumon informed the court that Don was directly involved in the incident and is an FIR-named accused in the murder case.
CID interrogation and remand findings
Earlier, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) accused Don of concealing key information during a five-day remand interrogation.
Investigating Officer (IO) Inspector Mojibur Rahman produced Don in court on 9 September following his five-day remand and requested his continued detention in custody, after which Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Jewel Rana sent him to jail.
According to the IO’s petition, Don was a close friend of Salman Shah and acted alongside him in multiple films from 1992 until 6 September 1996.
Although Don admitted during questioning that he knew the absconding accused named in the FIR, CID added that he answered questions very tactfully and concealed vital information.
Analysis of Don’s statements and conduct during remand yielded several pieces of information and evidence indicating his involvement, which the investigative agency is currently verifying.
Adding that the case is high-profile and sensational, CID informed the court that the gathered information is being thoroughly scrutinised, that Don may be re-interrogated with court permission if required, and that he needs to remain in jail until the investigation ends.
Immigration Police arrested Don at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on 9 August before handing him over to CID, which sent him to jail the same day.
The investigating officer filed a seven-day remand application on 20 August, and the court granted a five-day remand on 27 August following a hearing.
Don’s previous bail petitions were rejected by the CMM court on 12 August and by Dhaka 11th Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge Nurul Islam on 25 August.
Case background
Actor Salman Shah died at his residence in Iskaton, Dhaka, on 6 September 1996, with mystery and questions surrounding his death from the beginning. His father, Kamaruddin Ahmad Chowdhury, initially filed an unnatural death case, which he applied to convert into a murder case on 24 July 1997.
Following court directions, CID submitted a final report on 3 November 1997 concluding that Salman Shah had committed suicide. After the father rejected the report and filed a revision case, the matter was sent for a judicial inquiry on 19 May 2003.
On 3 August 2014, eleven years later, Metropolitan Magistrate Imdadul Haque submitted the judicial probe report, which rejected murder allegations.
Salman Shah’s mother, Neela Chowdhury, continued the legal proceedings and filed a no-confidence petition on 10 February 2015 against the judicial probe report, naming 11 individuals and expressing suspicion over their involvement in her son’s murder.
The investigation was subsequently handed over to the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), but on 21 August 2016, Dhaka Special Judge Court-6 ordered RAB to stop the probe following a prosecution objection, transferring the responsibility to the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI).
On 25 February 2020, after nearly four years of investigation, PBI submitted a final report finding no evidence of murder, and Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Mamunur Rashid accepted the report and discharged the accused on 31 October 2021.
Salman Shah’s family filed a revision petition in the Metropolitan Sessions Judge Court, which was accepted on 12 June 2022 but remained unheard for a long time.
On 20 October 2025, Dhaka 6th Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge Md Jannatul Ferdous Ibn Haque granted the revision petition.
The court directed Ramna Model Police Station to register a murder case incorporating Kamaruddin Ahmad’s complaint and the statement of involved accused Rizvi Ahmed alias Farhad and ordered the police to investigate and submit a report.
Consequently, Salman Shah’s uncle Mohammad Alamgir Kumkum filed a murder case at Ramna Police Station on behalf of Neela Chowdhury against 11 individuals including Samira Haq, alleging premeditated murder committed in collusion.
The other accused named in the case are Samira Haq’s mother Latifa Haq Lucy, businessman Aziz Mohammad, David, Javed, Farooq, Ruby, A Sattar and Saju.
