A Dhaka court has ordered the exhumation of the mortal remains of film actor Salman Shah, who died on September 6, 1996, as part of the ongoing investigation into his death.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Jewel Rana passed the order on May 24 following a petition filed by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of police, seeking permission to exhume the body for further examination.

However, the matter was disclosed only on Wednesday, said lawyer Faruk Ahmed.

On May 20, CID Inspector Ziaul Morshed filed the petition seeking exhumation of the actor’s body for preparation of an inquest report and completion of a fresh autopsy in the presence of an executive magistrate, he said.

Ziaul Morshed, also the investigating officer of the case, said the petition was filed to determine the actual cause of the death.

Mohammad Alamgir Kumkum, maternal uncle of Salman, filed a murder case against 11 people at Ramna Police Station on October 21, 2025 following a court order.

The accused are Salman’s wife Samira Haque, her mother Latifa Haque Lucy, businessman Aziz Mohammad Bhai, Don, David, Zaved, Faruk, Rubi, Abdus Sattar, Saju and Rizvi Ahmed alias Farhad.

According to the case statement, Salman Shah was found dead at his Easkaton flat in the capital on September 6, 1996. Later, his father Shah Kamaruddin Chowdhury filed an unnatural death case.

On July 24, 1997, a petition was filed stating that Salman Shah was murdered.

The court later asked the CID to investigate the issue.

On November 3, 1997, the police unit gave its final report, saying Salman Shah committed suicide.

Later, rejecting the CID’s claim, Kamaruddin Chowdhury filed a revision case in this regard.

On May 19, 2003, the court sent the case to the judicial department for investigation.

On August 3, 2014, Metropolitan Magistrate Emdadul Haque submitted the judicial statement in the case terming it a suicidal case.

On February 10, 2015, Nila Chowdhury, mother of Salman Shah, filed a naraji petition in this regard.

Finally, the case was shifted to the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI).

On February 25, 2020, PBI Inspector Sirajul Islam submitted the investigation report before the court.

On October 31, 2021, the court disposed of the case after accepting the report.

However, on June 12, 2022, a revision case was filed with the Dhaka Metropolitan Session Judge, alleging that Salman Shah was murdered.