Sweden Aslam
Sheikh Mohammad Aslam (known as Sweden Aslam) is a Bangladeshi gangster who is convicted of 22 cases including 9 murders from the mid-1980s until he was apprehended in 1997.[1] Aslam was released from Kashimpur High Security Central Jail in Gazipur District on bail on 3 September 2024 after being in prison for 27 years.[2] Early lifeAslam is originally from Chatiar area under Nawabganj Upazila, Dhaka. His father was Sheikh Jinnat Ali.[2] He lived in Indira Road in Dhaka. He completed his SSC from Tejgaon Polytechnic High School (now Tejgaon Government High School).[3] Being married to Iti, a Swedish expatriate, Aslam got the nickname "Sweden".[3][2] Criminal activitiesAslam had control over the several area in Dhaka including Kawran Bazar, Tejturi Bazar, Tejgaon, and Sher-e-Bangla Nagar.[3] He was first accused of killing a teenager, Shakil, at Nazneen School in East Rajabazar.[3] After the accusation of killing Galib, a Jubo League leader, on 23 March 1997, Aslam was arrested by the police on 26 May from Old DOHS.[2] At that time, Bangladesh Awami League party was in power of Bangladesh government and Jubo League is the youth wing of the party.[3] Aslam slapped a reporter of ATN Bangla on 31 July 2003 in a court room in front of police officers who laughed at the incident but did not take any action.[4] He was acquitted in an arms case on 3 October 2003.[5] He was cleared in the murder case of Tajgaon resident Mohammad Ali in 18 October.[6] He was sentenced to life imprisonment on 5 November 2003 in an arms case.[5][7] On 23 June 2004, he was acquitted while Aga Shamim was sentenced to 60 years imprisonment in 1995 murder of three people in Old Dhaka.[8] Aslam was again arrested on 31 January 2005.[1] In April, he was sentenced to life imprisonment in the 1993 Bipul murder.[9] On 14 On 18 October 2006, he was cleared in another case.[5] In May 2009, he was sentenced to 17 years imprisonment in an arms case filed when he was detained in 1997.[5] He had a total of 14 other cases against him.[5] In 2010, The Daily Star reported despite being in jail extortion in his name was continuing in Tejgaon.[10] On 3 September 2024, Aslam was released from Kashimpur High Security Central Jail in Gazipur District after the resignation of Sheikh Hasina and collapse of the Awami League government.[2] The Daily Star editorial expressed concern over the release of Aslam and other criminals, such as Freedom Rasu and Killer Abbas, after another recent releasee, Pichchi Helal, was accused in a murder case.[11][12] References
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