‘Serial killer’ held in Savar

A man has been arrested in connection with six murders committed over the past seven months in Savar, including five killings inside an abandoned community centre, police said.

The suspect, Mashiur Rahman Samrat, 40, was detained from Muktir Mor area on Sunday after police analysed CCTV footage following the recovery of two burnt bodies from the Savar Municipal Community Centre, said Arafatul Islam, additional superintendent of police (crime, operations and traffic–north) of Dhaka.

During preliminary interrogation, Samrat confessed to involvement in all six murders, including the latest double killing, Arafatul said, adding that the motive could not be known immediately.

Samrat was later shown arrested in the double murder case filed by police and produced before a court with a prayer for 10 days’ remand.

Dhaka Senior Judicial Magistrate Tajul Islam Sohag sent Samrat to jail after recording his confessional statement, said an assistant sub-inspector working at the court.

Details of the statement could not be known immediately till filing the report last night around 8:30pm.

Police said Samrat lived in Savar’s Bank Colony area, but his permanent address is unknown.

Although Samrat is widely known as “mentally unwell” by locals, police said no such symptoms were found during interrogation. “As he roams around like a vagabond, people assume he is mentally unwell. However, during interrogation, we did not find any signs or symptoms of that,” the police official said.

Following earlier recoveries of bodies from the abandoned community centre, police intensified surveillance in the area, Arafatul said. With assistance from the municipality authorities, the building was cleaned, lighting improved, and CCTV cameras installed. Police also deployed regular patrols.

After the latest discovery of bodies, CCTV footage was reviewed, leading to the identification of a suspicious individual. A subsequent raid resulted in Samrat’s detention, he added.

Police said five bodies have been recovered from the community centre over the past five months. Another victim, Asma Begum, 75, was found dead behind a tea stall adjacent to the Savar Model Mosque July 4, last year.

Except for Asma Begum, the other five victims remain unidentified, police said, adding that separate cases have been filed in connection with each incident.

Initially, police believed Asma Begum had died of natural causes and filed an unnatural death case. However, a post-mortem examination later revealed she had been strangled, prompting the filing of a murder case.

According to police, a body was recovered on August 29 last year from the second floor of the community centre. The unidentified victim, believed to be around 30, was found in a decomposed state with his hands tied.

On October 11, the body of an unidentified woman, also aged around 30, was recovered from a second-floor bathroom with her throat slit. On December 19, another unidentified man, aged about 35, was found dead in the building.

On Sunday night, police recovered two more burnt bodies from the same building. “We believe one of the victims is a 13-year-old girl, while the other is estimated to be around 25. However, the gender of the latter could not be confirmed immediately,” Arafatul said.

Police said Samrat had long been seen roaming around areas adjacent to Savar Model Police Station and the nearby upazila health complex, and locals reported seeing him staying overnight inside the abandoned building on several occasions.

Meanwhile, The Daily Star obtained CCTV footage showing Samrat carrying a body on his shoulders and running around the premises late at night.