Fans of the late popular actor Salman Shah held a human chain on Saturday in front of the National Press Club, demanding justice for his murder. During the demonstration, they raised five key demands, calling for a fair and impartial investigation and the swift arrest of the accused.
Masud Rana Naqeeb, one of the organisers, outlined the demands, which include: A re-examination of the five points highlighted in the PBI report and clarification on why the investigation was handed to the PBI while RAB’s probe was halted; a thorough inquiry into inconsistencies in the PBI findings; immediate arrest of the accused without granting anticipatory bail; speedy trial of the case in a special tribunal to ensure justice; and the extradition of accused who fled abroad via Interpol for prompt prosecution. Additionally, they called for a proper investigation into why DB and CID reports cited suicide incorrectly.
Salman Shah’s body was found hanging from a fan at his Eskaton residence in Dhaka on 6 September 1996. Since then, multiple agencies – including the local police, CID, RAB, and PBI – have investigated the case. All reports have labeled it as suicide, but the investigation agency has been changed repeatedly at the family’s request.
In his short life of 25 years, Salman Shah appeared in 27 films, all of which were commercially successful. He set a new trend of romantic heroes in Bangladeshi cinema in the 1990s. Blockbusters like Keyamat Theke Keyamat, Swopner Prithibi, Ontore Ontore, Bikkhov, Chawa Theke Pawa, and Prem Juddho remain iconic at the box office.
