Defence cites past investigations and actor’s health concerns.
Photo collage of Salman Shah and Don. Photo: Collected
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Photo collage of Salman Shah and Don. Photo: Collected
A Dhaka court today (5 October) rejected the bail petition of actor Ashraful Haque Don, an accused in the murder case of film actor Salman Shah.
Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Manzurul Islam passed the order this afternoon after hearing arguments from both sides, confirmed state prosecutor Shamsuddoha Sumon.
Defence lawyer Md Mofizul Islam sought bail, arguing that the inquest, post-mortem, viscera and chemical examination reports indicated that Salman Shah had died by suicide.
He also cited Don’s physical illness and said he was the sole earning member of his family. The lawyer assured the court that Don would not abscond if granted bail.
Opposing the plea, state prosecutor Sumon said Don was involved in the incident and had been named in the first information report (FIR) in the murder case.
The defence argued that several agencies had investigated Salman Shah’s death over the years, but probes by the Detective Branch (DB) and Criminal Investigation Department (CID) had not substantiated the allegations against Don.
The lawyer also referred to multiple petitions challenging the investigations.
After hearing both sides, the court rejected the bail petition.
Immigration police arrested Don at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on 9 August and handed him over to the CID. A court later ordered that he be sent to jail.
Salman Shah was found dead at his residence in Eskaton, Dhaka, on 6 September 1996. His death was initially treated as a suicide, but a murder case was later filed.
On 20 October 2025, Mohammad Alamgir Kumkum, representing Salman Shah’s mother Neela Chowdhury, filed a murder case with Ramna Police Station against 11 people, including Samira Haque, Aziz Mohammad Bhai and actor Don.
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