Six murders, one suspect: Police link Savar serial killings to 'mentally unstable' man
Police could not immediately disclose the motive behind the killings.
Police have said a man arrested as a suspect following the recovery of two charred bodies from the abandoned Savar Municipal Community Centre in Dhaka was involved in six killings altogether over the last six months at multiple locations, including the same community centre.
Additional Superintendent of Police Arafatul Islam disclosed the information during a press briefing at Savar Model Police Station this morning (19 January).
Police detained Mashirur Rahman Samrat, 40, last night from the Muktir Mor area of Savar as a suspect after they recovered two unidentified, burnt bodies from the abandoned community centre earlier in the day.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
Later, he was shown arrested in the case filed over the double murder and produced in court with a request for a 10-day remand.
Although police went to the Bank Colony area after gathering information from Samrat during interrogation, they were unable to verify his address, Arafatul told the media.
"Since he lives like a vagrant, we know him as a vagrant," he said.
While locals describe him as "mentally unstable", the police officer added that police did not find any signs or symptoms of mental instability during questioning.
However, police could not immediately disclose the motive behind the killings.
According to Arafatul, after earlier recoveries of bodies from the community centre, police intensified investigations, cleaned the premises with the help of the municipality, installed CCTV cameras and maintained regular patrols in the area.
As recently as Saturday night (17 January), a police team visited the spot and questioned people there, he said.
After the recovery of two burnt bodies from the first floor of the community centre yesterday, police noticed Samrat's "suspicious" presence in CCTV footage, the additional SP added.
Following his subsequent detention, Samrat confessed to his involvement in all six killings during preliminary interrogation, including the latest double murder, Arafatul said.
When asked about the motive behind the crimes, he said police had only a short time to interrogate him before sending him to court. "If remand is granted, we may be able to uncover the full details through further interrogation."
According to him, five bodies – still unidentified – were recovered from the abandoned community centre over the past six months. In addition, the body of a 75-year-old woman, Asma Begum, was recovered from behind a tea stall near Savar Model Mosque.
Separate cases have been filed in each incident, Arafatul added.
Notably, police initially believed Asma had died of natural causes due to old age, but an autopsy later revealed that she had been strangled to death.
In all cases, the perpetrator had remained at large until now.
Order of recoveries
Police also detailed the sequence of discoveries: on 29 August last year, the half-decomposed body of an unidentified man, about 30, with his hands tied, was recovered from the first floor of the community centre.
On 11 October, the body of an unidentified woman, around 30, with her throat slit, was found in a bathroom on the same floor.
Then on 19 December, another unidentified man, approximately 35, was found dead in the building.
Most recently, two unidentified, burnt bodies were recovered from the building yesterday.
Police suspect that one of the two bodies recovered yesterday belonged to a 13-year-old girl. The other victim is believed to be around 25 years old, though the person's gender has not yet been confirmed.
'Mentally unstable'
Locals have long known Samrat as a "mentally unstable" person. He has been a familiar figure around the Savar Model Police Station area for several years.
Local people say he often wandered alone near Savar Upazila Health Complex, talking to himself. Due to his appearance and behaviour, locals considered him mentally unstable, and many reported seeing him spending nights inside the abandoned municipal building.
