Police seek immigration alert to prevent Salman Shah 'murder' suspects from absconding

Police have requested support from the immigration authorities to prevent suspects in actor Salman Shah’s alleged murder from leaving the country.

Masud Alam, deputy commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s Ramna Division, said they are acting in line with court orders regarding the case, bdnews24.com reports. 

“A list of the suspects has been sent to the immigration authorities so they cannot leave the country,” he added.

He said the letter was issued on Thursday, a day after the case was filed, adding: “We are working with utmost seriousness on this widely discussed case. We are proceeding carefully.”

Following a court order, the case was filed at Ramna Model Police Station on Monday night. Shortly after the filing, police took the first step by alerting immigration authorities over concerns that the suspects may attempt to leave Bangladesh.

Mohammad Alamgir Kumkum, on behalf of Salman’s mother Neela Chowdhury, lodged the case with Ramna Model Police at midnight.

On Tuesday, Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Md Saifuzzaman accepted the complaint and instructed Inspector Atikul Islam Khandakar to submit a report by Dec 7, confirmed Sub-Inspector Zinnat Ali of the prosecution.

Along with Salman’s wife Samira Haque, other suspects include: Samira’s mother Latifa Haque Lucy, businessman Aziz Mohammad Bhai, actors Don, David, Javed, Faruk, Rubi, Abdus Chattar, Saju, and Rizvi Ahmed alias Farhad.

The case alleges that the named and unidentified absconding individuals deliberately and premeditatedly murdered Salman.

Salman -- whose full name was Chowdhury Mohammad Shahriar Emon -- was found dead in his Eskaton flat in Dhaka on Sept 6, 1996, at the height of his fame in Bangladesh’s film industry.

Following his death, Salman’s father Kamaruddin initially filed an unnatural death case. But on Jul 24, 1997, he appealed to turn it into a murder case, alleging that his son had been killed.

The court then directed the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to probe the murder allegations alongside the unnatural death case. On Nov 3, 1997, CID submitted its final report, concluding that Salman had committed suicide.

Rejecting the report, Kamaruddin filed a revision case, prompting the court on May 19, 2003, to order a judicial inquiry. After 11 years, Metropolitan Magistrate Imdadul Haque submitted his report on Aug 3, 2014, which also dismissed the murder claim.

After Kamaruddin’s death, Salman’s mother, Neela Chowdhury, pursued the case further. On Feb 10, 2015, she filed a “Naraji” petition, expressing dissatisfaction and objecting to the judicial report and naming 11 individuals she believed might be linked to her son’s death.

The case was later investigated by the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB). But after state objections, Special Judge Imrul Kayes of Dhaka’s Special Judge Court ordered the RAB to stop probing on Aug 21, 2016. The Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) then took over.

After four years of inquiry, PBI submitted its final report on Feb 25, 2020, stating that after analysing witness testimonies of 54 individuals and the seized evidence, no proof of murder was found.

The PBI concluded: “Due to family conflict arising from his closeness with actress Shabnur (Kazi Sharmin Nahid Nupur) and estrangement from his wife Samira Haque, Salman suffered mental distress and ultimately took his own life.”

On Oct 31, 2021, Metropolitan Magistrate Mamunur Rashid accepted the PBI’s report and acquitted the suspect. The family then filed a revision with the Metropolitan Sessions Judge’s Court, challenging parts of the decision.

The court accepted the petition on Jun 12, 2022, though the hearing was delayed for procedural reasons -- until it finally concluded this week.

Born on Sept 19, 1971, in Sylhet’s Dariapara, Salman’s dazzling four-year career in the early 1990s made him one of Bangladesh’s most beloved screen icons before his untimely death in 1996.