Dhaka, Oct 21 (V7N) — Nearly three decades after the mysterious death of Bangladeshi film legend Salman Shah, authorities have reopened the case as a murder investigation. The development comes after a Dhaka court ordered police to treat the 1996 case as homicide rather than suicide.

A murder case has been filed at Ramna Police Station by Mohammad Alamgir, the actor’s maternal uncle, alleging that Shah was killed in a premeditated act. Eleven people have been named as accused, including Shah’s wife Samira Huq, businessman and former film producer Aziz Mohammad Bhai, Latifa Huq Luchi, film actor Don, Debit, Javed, Faruk, Ruby of Mayfair Beauty Center, Abdus Sattar, Saju, and Rezvi Ahmed Farhad. Several unidentified persons are also mentioned in the complaint.

Previously, police registered the actor’s death as an unnatural death case. However, on Monday, Dhaka’s Sixth Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge Jannatul Ferdous granted a petition from the plaintiff and directed authorities to register it as a murder case.

Salman Shah, a cultural phenomenon and one of Bangladesh’s most popular film stars of the 1990s, was found dead at his Dhaka residence on September 6, 1996. His death at the age of 25 shocked the nation and gave rise to decades of speculation and conspiracy theories.

Speaking from London, Shah’s mother, Neela Chowdhury, said, “I have only one demand — justice for my son’s murder.” She added, “For years, they tried to label his death as suicide. But the court’s decision now proves our claims were right. We are ready to prove it in court.”

She urged the government to ensure that the accused cannot leave the country. “It is now the administration’s responsibility to monitor the matter closely,” she said.

The new legal move has reignited public interest in one of Bangladesh’s most controversial and emotionally charged cases, renewing calls for a fair and transparent investigation.

END/KMD/SMA/