Homeless Man Held Over Serial Killings in Savar

This is not fiction or a thriller film. Over the past six months in Savar, a man allegedly murdered five people at night, burned their bodies to erase their identities, and then spent his days wandering casually in front of the police station. Among the victims were women and children. The killings all took place inside the same abandoned building.

Police have arrested the suspect, identified as Samrat, a homeless man accused of carrying out a series of calculated murders inside the abandoned Savar Municipal Community Center. He was detained late Sunday night directly in front of Savar Model Police Station, a place where he was often seen loitering without drawing suspicion.

The community center, once used for social and cultural events, was left abandoned after being damaged during unrest in July. Investigators say Samrat turned the deserted structure into his hideout. According to police, he entered the building after nightfall, killed his victims, and set their bodies on fire to destroy identifying evidence. By morning, he blended back into the streets, presenting himself as an ordinary vagrant.

The case came to light on Saturday afternoon when local residents discovered two burned bodies—one male and one female—on the second floor of the building. Police and forensic teams from the Criminal Investigation Department examined the scene and found clear signs of deliberate arson and homicide, ruling out any possibility of an accident.

Investigators later confirmed that five bodies had been recovered from the same building over the last six months. On December 19, a body was found inside a toilet. In October, a half-naked decomposed body of a woman was recovered. In August, police found the body of a young man with his hands and legs tied. Though the recoveries occurred at different times, the location and the pattern of violence were identical, prompting law enforcement to treat the incidents as serial killings.

To identify the suspect, authorities installed CCTV cameras around the abandoned structure. Analysis of the footage showed the same man entering the building at night and spending daytime hours near the police station. That evidence led police to Samrat, whom investigators now describe as calm, methodical, and highly calculated despite his appearance as a homeless person.

None of the victims have yet been identified, as their bodies were burned beyond recognition. Police are now working to determine who the victims were, why they were targeted, and whether the accused acted alone or had assistance. While the arrest has brought temporary relief to local residents, the unanswered questions surrounding the victims continue to haunt the investigation.