Three decades after the death of heartthrob film actor Salman Shah, Sylhet district administration has now appointed an executive magistrate to oversee the exhumation of his remains from the grave.
The development was confirmed on Sunday by Sub-Inspector Shah Alam of Ramna Police Station.
According to court sources, the official order was issued on 22 June by Additional District Magistrate of the Sylhet District Magistrate’s office Pinky Saha. The order was subsequently sent by post to Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Court and was officially recorded on Sunday.
Investigation into cause of death
The appointment follows a directive issued on 24 May by Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Jewel Rana, aimed at uncovering the actual cause of his death.
Under the Code of Criminal Procedure, Executive Magistrate and Assistant Commissioner (Land) at the Sylhet Deputy Commissioner’s office Md Parvez, will be present during the exhumation to perform his duties.
On 20 May, the investigating officer of the case, CID Inspector Ziaul Morshed, had applied for the exhumation. Consequently, on 24 May, the court ordered that the body be lifted in presence of an Executive Magistrate to facilitate a fresh inquest report and autopsy.
Legal challenges and case background
On 23 June, the plaintiff of the case, Mohammad Alamgir (Kumkum), filed an application in the court of Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Jewel Rana seeking to cancel the exhumation order. The court has recorded the application.
This murder case was formally filed by the actor’s uncle, Alamgir Kumkum, at Ramna Police Station at midnight on 21 October last year. This followed a court directive on 20 October to re-investigate whether the late actor had committed suicide or was murdered.
The case names 11 individuals as accused, with Salman Shah’s former wife, Samira Huq, listed as the primary suspect. Other high-profile names included in this case are businessman Aziz Mohammad, Latifa Haque Lusi, and the actor Don.
