A Dhaka court has imposed a travel ban on two individuals, including the wife of late film star Salman Shah, Samira Haque, in connection with the ongoing investigation into the actor’s alleged murder in 1996. Alongside Haque, film actor Ashraful Haque, also known as Dawn, has been barred from leaving the country.
The order was passed by Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Saifuzzaman on Monday, following a plea filed by the investigation officer (IO) in the case. The request was made by Ramna Police Station inspector Atiqul Alam Khandaker, who had submitted the petition on October 22, 2025.
Nearly 29 years after Salman Shah’s tragic death, the case, which accuses 11 people of involvement in his death, was officially registered on October 21. The case was filed by Shah’s maternal uncle, Mohammad Alamgir, under sections 302 (murder) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of a common intention) of the Penal Code.
The accused in the case include Samira Haque, Aziz Mohammad Bhai, Latifa Haque Lusi, Dawn, David, Zaved, Faruk, Ruby, A. Sattar, Saju, and Rijvi Ahmed Farhad.
Earlier, on October 20, Dhaka’s 6th Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge, Md Jannatul Ferdous Ibn Haque, instructed the officer-in-charge of Ramna Police Station to treat the case surrounding Salman Shah’s “unnatural” death as a murder investigation. The judge directed authorities to submit a detailed report based on this revised classification.
In the court order, the previous case related to Salman Shah’s death, which had been categorised as “unnatural” on October 31, 2021, was revoked.
According to the case statement, on September 6, 1996, Salman Shah’s mother, Nilufar Zaman Chowdhury (known as Neela Chowdhury), along with his father, the late Kamar Uddin Ahmed Chowdhury, and younger brother Shahraan Shah, visited Salman at his New Eskaton residence. Upon their arrival, Samira and a domestic worker named Abul informed them that Salman was asleep. Film producer Siddique, who was also visiting at the time, was told the same.
Salman’s parents planned to meet him later on their way to Sylhet. However, later that day, production manager Selim contacted Kamar Uddin Ahmed Chowdhury, telling him that something had happened to Salman and urging them to come to his residence immediately.
Upon arriving, they found Salman lying motionless in his bedroom, while several unknown women were rubbing oil on his hands and feet. In another room, Samira’s relative, Ruby, who operated the nearby Mayfair Beauty Parlour, was seated. At that point, Salman’s mother reportedly screamed and insisted on taking him to the hospital.
Salman was rushed to Holy Family Hospital, where doctors observed rope marks around his neck and noted that his face and legs had turned blue. His mother insisted on moving him to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, where doctors declared him dead upon arrival, stating that he had likely passed away several hours earlier.
Initially, Kamar Uddin Ahmed Chowdhury filed an unnatural death case. However, on July 24, 1997, he filed a petition to register the case as a murder investigation under Section 302 of the Penal Code.
In his statement, Alamgir noted, “As Salman’s father, my brother-in-law, has passed away, I am pursuing this case on behalf of my sister, under the power of attorney vested in me.”