Samrat or Sabuj? Police reveal real name of Savar 6-murder accused
Following interrogation, Sabuj confessed to killing six people. “He does not say ‘kill.’ He refers to each murder as ‘thirty-four’ and says, ‘I did thirty-four to six people,’” police says
Police have revealed that the man arrested recently in connection with six murders in Savar is not Samrat, as he claimed, but Sabuj Sheikh.
The killings took place over the past six months in areas including the abandoned Savar Municipal Community Centre and near the Savar Model Mosque within the Savar municipality.
The information was confirmed to The Business Standard by Arafatul Islam, additional superintendent of police of Dhaka District Police.
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Police said Sabuj Sheikh used the alias Mashiur Rahman Samrat. The 40-year-old is the son of Panna Sheikh from Mouchamanda village (Gorer Bari) under Haldia Union of Louhajang Police Station in Munshiganj district.
"We have preliminarily confirmed his identity. However, details regarding his family, background and other information we are receiving are still being verified," Arafatul Islam said.
According to another police official, Sabuj has two brothers and one sister. He does not possess a national identity card, and his identity could not be traced through fingerprint verification.
Police have also been unable to confirm whether he has any prior criminal record, as he used multiple names at different times. He sometimes introduced himself as Tiger Samrat and at other times as Mashiur Rahman Samrat.
Police said Sabuj frequently made nuisance calls to police officers. Two days before two bodies were recovered from the Savar Municipal Community Centre, he called a police member and made unusual remarks, instructing them to recover two bodies.
A search of his bag after his arrest revealed multiple SIM cards used in mobile phones, along with lists containing the names and phone numbers of police officers from several Savar and Dhaka police stations.
During interrogation, he reportedly referred to the killings by saying, "I did 'thirty-four'," a phrase police believe he used to mean committing murder.
Md Helal Uddin, inspector (operations) of Savar Model Police Station, said locals were familiar with Sabuj as someone whose behaviour they found erratic. Because he possessed contact details of police officers from multiple stations, he often harassed officers by making repeated and incoherent calls.
"He used to call other officers and me without any reason," Helal said. "On the evening before the two people were killed at the abandoned community centre, he called me and said, 'CID, PBI, Savar Police Station – recover two bodies.' I scolded him and disconnected the call."
The inspector said that later that night, around midnight, he went to the abandoned community centre with several police personnel out of suspicion.
"We saw a woman lying there, and Sabuj wandering nearby. We questioned both individuals and searched his bag, where we found two separate lists containing the names and phone numbers of officers from Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station and Savar Model Police Station," he said.
One police member tore the lists in anger, and officers remained at the location until around 3am before leaving. The following day, after receiving information about two burned bodies at the site, police returned, collected CCTV footage and reviewed it. Based on the footage, Sabuj's involvement was identified, leading to his arrest on 18 January.
Following interrogation, Sabuj confessed to killing six people. "He does not say 'kill.' He refers to each murder as 'thirty-four' and says, 'I did thirty-four to six people,'" the inspector added.
Police said Sabuj had been under surveillance for a long time prior to his arrest.
Even after his arrest, police said Sabuj continued to identify himself as Mashiur Rahman Samrat and gave his address as Bank Colony in the Savar municipal area, claiming his father was deceased Salam.
However, none of the information provided by him could be verified. Police later confirmed through various sources that his actual address was in Munshiganj.
