The bodies of former union parishad chairman Selim Khan and his son, actor Shanto Khan, who were killed in a mob beating in Chandpur on 5 August 2024, have been exhumed nearly two years after their burial.
The remains were taken from the family cemetery in Lakshmipur Model Union of Chandpur Sadar upazila on Wednesday morning following a court order. Chand Mia, inspector and officer-in-charge of the Purand Bazar police outpost in Chandpur, confirmed the development.
He said the remains were taken to the mortuary of Chandpur Sadar Hospital after being exhumed. A post-mortem examination will be conducted after the necessary legal procedures are completed.
Executive Magistrate Protyay Hashem, who was present during the exhumation, said the bodies were removed from the graves in accordance with the court’s order for post-mortem examinations.
Selim Khan had served as chairman of Lakshmipur Model Union Parishad and was also president of the union unit of the Awami League. Alongside his political activities, he was associated with Shapla Media, a film production and distribution company.
Over the years, media reports had raised allegations against Selim Khan involving the alleged illegal extraction of sand from the Padma and Meghna rivers in Chandpur and the accumulation of substantial wealth, as well as alleged irregularities in land acquisition for Chandpur Science and Technology University. Reports had also referred to cases involving the Anti-Corruption Commission and alleged tax evasion.
However, no information on a final court verdict or disposal of those allegations was available in the material relating to the case.
His son, Shanto Khan, was a film actor. He appeared in several films, including Tungiparar Mia Bhai, a biographical film based on the life of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
According to Inspector Chand Mia, who is investigating the case concerning their deaths, Selim Khan and Shanto Khan were attempting to leave the area on the afternoon of 5 August 2024, the day the Sheikh Hasina government fell.
They were travelling in a car when they encountered a crowd at Forkkabad Bazar in Balia Union of Chandpur Sadar upazila. Police said Selim Khan fired shots from his pistol and managed to get away from the crowd at that point. However, their vehicle was later stopped at nearby Bagra Bazar.
The two men were subsequently beaten by the agitated crowd and died. Local residents later took their bodies to Chandpur Sadar Hospital.
Given the circumstances prevailing at the time, the bodies were handed over to the family without post-mortem examinations and were subsequently buried at their family cemetery.
Inspector Chand Mia said no case had initially been filed at the police station in connection with the deaths, according to available information. A case was later filed at Chandpur Sadar Model Police Station on 30 September 2025 by police Sub-Inspector Abdul Quddus Sarker. The case names 150 unidentified people as accused.
As part of the investigation and ensuing legal process, the court ordered the exhumation of Selim Khan and Shanto Khan’s remains for post-mortem examinations.
Chandpur Sadar Model Police Station Officer-in-Charge Foyez Ahmed had earlier said that, after receiving the court order, police applied to the district administration for the appointment of an executive magistrate to oversee the exhumation. The process was subsequently completed after approval from the district administration.
The exhumation, carried out nearly two years after the deaths, is expected to provide investigators with additional forensic evidence. Particular attention will now be given to the post-mortem findings, which could help establish the nature and extent of injuries sustained by the two men.
Foyez Ahmed said the investigation would proceed further after the post-mortem report and other available evidence had been examined.
The examination may establish what types of injuries were present on the bodies and whether those injuries were sufficient to cause death. It could also provide other evidence relevant to the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
Police, however, stressed that no definitive conclusion can be reached about the precise cause of death or the involvement of particular individuals until the post-mortem findings and other evidence have been assessed. The investigation will therefore depend on the forensic report alongside witness accounts and other evidence gathered in the case.
