Nearly three decades after his mysterious death shattered millions of hearts, the name Salman Shah is back in court — and this time, it is officially a murder case.
In a sensational turn of events, a Dhaka court on Monday ordered the Ramna Police Station to register a murder case and reinvestigate the death of the Dhallywood legend, rejecting earlier claims that the actor had taken his own life.
The ruling came from Dhaka’s Sixth Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge Md Jannatul Ferdous Ibne Haque, who accepted a revision petition filed by Salman’s family — reigniting one of Bangladesh’s most enduring and emotional mysteries.
A death that never stopped haunting Bangladesh
On September 6, 1996, at the age of just 25, Salman Shah — the biggest heartthrob of 90s Dhallywood — was found dead in his home.
His then-wife, Samira Haque, said it was suicide. But his family cried murder — and the nation has been divided ever since.
From the start, the case has been a tangle of investigations, conflicting reports and unanswered questions.
In 1997, Salman’s father Qamaruddin Ahmed Chowdhury filed a murder case, refusing to accept that his vibrant, career-soaring son could end his own life.
A saga of reports, rejections and renewed hope
The CID first investigated the case, later ruling it a suicide — a finding accepted by a Dhaka court in November 1997.
But Salman’s family did not stop fighting.
After years of back-and-forth, a judicial probe in 2014 labelled it simply an “untimely death.”
When Qamaruddin passed away, Salman’s mother, Neela Chowdhury, took up the torch — vowing to uncover the truth.
In 2020, the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) submitted its own report once again ruling out murder.
The court accepted it in 2021, effectively closing the case.
But in 2022, Neela filed a fresh revision, alleging a powerful cover-up. “A well-planned murder has been passed off as suicide,” the petition declared.
Now, at last, the court has agreed — it is time to look again.
The legend lives on
Born Shahriar Chowdhury Emon, Salman Shah was not just an actor — he was an era.
With his effortless charm, boyish intensity, and magnetic screen presence, he redefined the image of the Bangladeshi hero.
Before storming the silver screen, he starred in hit TV dramas like Akash Chhoya, Doyel, Sab Pakhi Ghar Fere, and Swapner Prithibi.
Then came the films — Keyamat Theke Keyamat, Denmohar, Tumi Amar, Ananda Ashru — and the legendary pairing with Shabnur, together creating box-office history and cult adoration that still echoes across generations.
His final film, Buker Bhetar Agun, released after his death, became a haunting farewell — a title that feels prophetic even now.
The comeback of a case and a memory
For a generation that grew up idolising his every move, Monday’s verdict feels like a curtain rising again on a story that never truly ended.
The court’s order for a fresh murder investigation reopens old wounds but also rekindles old hopes — that, at long last, the truth about Dhallywood’s brightest fallen star might finally emerge.
Even in death, Salman Shah refuses to fade into silence.