The mysterious death of Dhallywood’s legendary actor Salman Shah has once again stirred the entertainment industry. Nearly 29 years after his passing, the case once labeled as “unnatural death” has now been reclassified as a murder case, revealing a shocking claim — Salman Shah was allegedly killed under a 1.2 million taka contract ordered by his mother-in-law.
On September 6, 1996, the 25-year-old superstar was found dead in his apartment. For years, his death was treated as a suicide. But in a 1997 court deposition, Rezvi Ahmed Farhad, the 11th accused in the case, confessed that Salman was murdered — and the death scene was staged to look like a suicide.
According to Rezvi’s statement, the murder was arranged under a 1.2 million taka deal made by Salman’s mother-in-law Latifa Haque Lucy. Several individuals from the film industry were allegedly involved, including producer Aziz Mohammad Bhai, actors Don, David, Faruk, and Javed.
Rezvi detailed that on September 5, 1996, the night before the killing, the group met at a bar in Gulistan to plan the murder. Initially, 200,000 taka was handed over, followed by another 400,000 — part of the total contract amount.
He described that on the night of the murder, the killers entered Salman Shah’s home around 2:30 a.m. A sleeping Salman was first rendered unconscious using chloroform. When he regained consciousness, a scuffle ensued, after which he was injected with a lethal substance. His body was later hanged from the ceiling fan to make it appear as a suicide.
Rezvi also claimed that Salman’s wife Samira, her mother Lucy, and their relative Ruby were present during the killing.
After years of stalled investigations and speculation, the case has officially been reopened as a murder case. A total of 11 people have been named as accused, with Salman’s former wife Samira Haque listed as the prime suspect.
Other accused include Aziz Mohammad Bhai, Don, Latifa Haque Lucy, David, Javed, Faruk, Ruby, Abdus Sattar, Saju, and Rezvi Ahmed Farhad.
This development has once again brought renewed attention to one of the most sensational and controversial deaths in Bangladesh’s film history — the murder of superstar Salman Shah.