Bangladeshi film actor Ashraful Haque, popularly known as Don, concealed “many important facts” about the death of film star Salman Shah during interrogation, investigators have said.
Don also admitted that he knew the accused who are currently absconding, according to a police forwarding report submitted to the court on Wednesday.
Don was produced before the court after completion of his remand. The court later sent him to jail.
According to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Don was a close friend of Salman and frequently accompanied him, giving him access to information about the actor.
“When the accused [Don] was questioned about the victim’s death and the circumstances surrounding the case, he spoke very cautiously and evasively,” CID Inspector and investigating officer Majibur Rahman said in the forwarding report.
“However, information and evidence have been found regarding the accused’s conduct, movements and behaviour before, during and after the incident, indicating his involvement in the incident,” he said.
As the case is a highly publicised and sensational one, all information obtained during the investigation is being verified, the report said.
The investigator also described Don as “extremely clever and formidable”.
“If necessary and in the interest of the investigation, the accused [Don] may be questioned again with the permission of the court,” the report said, adding that keeping him in custody was necessary until the investigation is completed.
The investigator said Don fell physically ill while in CID custody and was provided medical treatment in accordance with the prescribed rules.
Don was arrested at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka on August 9 while preparing to leave for Saudi Arabia. He was later sent to jail after being produced before the court.
His arrest came nearly three decades after the death of Salman Shah, with whom he appeared in at least 13 films.
Salman, whose real name was Chowdhury Muhammad Shahriar Emon, was found dead at his Eskaton Road home in Dhaka on September 6, 1996, at the age of 25.
His father initially filed an unnatural death case, and in 1997, sought to have it converted into a murder case.
On October 20 last year, the Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge’s Court-6 of Dhaka ordered that the case over Salman’s death be treated as a murder case.
The following day, Salman’s maternal uncle Mohammad Alamgir filed a murder case with Ramna Police Station against 11 people, including Salman’s widow Samira Haque, businessman Aziz Mohammad Bhai and Don.