Police reveal true identity of Savar serial killer 'Samrat'

The real name of the man known as the sensational Savar serial killer is not ‘Samrat’. His actual name is Sabuj Sheikh. Police investigation has revealed that he used multiple fake names and identities to move around the Savar area for a long time and carried out a series of brutal murders.

On Tuesday morning (20 January), Additional Superintendent of Police of Savar Circle under Dhaka District Police, Md Asaduzzaman, confirmed the matter, saying that the information given in Sabuj Sheikh’s confessional statement before the court is being verified.

Police said that although the arrested man was known as ‘Samrat’, his real name is Sabuj Sheikh. His father’s name is Panna Sheikh. He is the second child among three brothers and four sisters. His birthplace and ancestral home are in Mosamanda village of Haludia Union under Louhajang police station in Munshiganj district. Some relatives of his family live in the Barishal area.

Investigation has found that Sabuj Sheikh concealed his real identity and lured homeless women from different areas with promises of physical relationships, taking them to abandoned and isolated buildings. He confessed in court that he killed those women out of anger if they became involved with someone else or if allegations of immoral relationships arose.

Police said that three to four days before the latest incident, Sabuj brought a homeless young woman named Tania alias Sonia to a municipal community centre. Later, when the woman developed a relationship with another homeless young man, Sabuj first killed the young man on the second floor of the community centre. He then brought the woman downstairs and killed her as well. After that, he burned both bodies.

On Monday, during interrogation in court, Sabuj Sheikh confessed to his involvement in six murders. He was then sent to court with a request for 10 days’ remand in six murder cases. He gave a confessional statement under Section 164 before the court of Dhaka Chief Judicial Magistrate Tajul Islam. After the statement, he was sent to jail. Court Police Inspector Kamal Hossain confirmed the matter.

Police said that Sabuj, who had been roaming around the Savar Model Police Station area for a long time, sometimes introduced himself as ‘King Samrat’ and sometimes as ‘Moshiur Rahman Khan Samrat’. After his arrest, he claimed to live in the Bank Colony area, but police found no authenticity of that address. Confusion increased further as there is a local ward councillor with the same name.

Inspector Saidul Islam of Dhaka District DB (North) said that earlier too, Sabuj Sheikh had provided different addresses and different names of his parents. No information matched upon verification.

Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Savar Police Station, Arman Ali, said that Sabuj Sheikh is mentally distorted and has psychopathic tendencies.

Subal Roy, owner of Netra Business Centre in front of the Upazila Health Complex, said that Sabuj had been coming there regularly for the last three to four years and would ask people for money. Jewel, a coconut vendor in front of the police station, said that Sabuj often took money from many people, including police personnel. Although he sometimes used an Android phone, he always carried a button phone.

According to police data, six murders have taken place in Savar over the past seven months. On 4 July, the body of an elderly woman was recovered in front of Savar Model Mosque, later identified as Asma Begum (75). Subsequently, on 29 August, the body of an unidentified man was recovered from the municipal community centre, followed by the bodies of a woman on 11 October and another man on 19 December. Most recently, on Sunday, 18 January, two burnt bodies were found there. CCTV footage showed Sabuj Sheikh removing one of the bodies, after which police arrested him.