A Dhaka court on Monday rejected a bail petition filed by actor Ashraful Haque Don in a case filed over the murder of film actor Salman Shah.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Monjurul Alam passed the order after a hearing, said state lawyer Shamsuddoha Sumon.

During the hearing, defence lawyer Mofizul Islam sought bail for Don, while the prosecution opposed the petition. After hearing both sides, the court rejected the bail plea.

Don was arrested at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka on August 9 and sent to jail the same day. Later, on August 27, the court granted five days’ remand for him.

On September 6, 1996, the body of film actor Salman Shah was recovered from his residence in Eskaton, Dhaka. His father, Komoruddin Ahmed Chowdhury, initially filed an unnatural death (UD) case over the incident.

Following a long legal battle by Salman Shah’s family, the Dhaka 6th Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge’s Court on October 20 last year ordered that a fresh case be filed in connection with the actor’s death.

The court also directed Ramna Model Police Station to submit a probe report. That night, Salman Shah’s maternal uncle, Md Alamgir Kumkum, filed the case with the police station.

Salman Shah’s wife Samira Haque, businessman Aziz Mohammad Bhai, Latifa Haque Luci, film actor Don, David, Javed, Faruk, Rubi, Abdus Sattar, Saju and Rezvi Ahmed were named as accused in the case.