He was born in Shahebnagar village located in Gangni upazila of Meherpur district in a family of seven brothers and three sisters.
His father Kabir Hossain was a footballer but none of his siblings pursued any sport.
According to a report published on sports magazine Krira Jagat in 1990, Shah Alam joined Bangladesh Army as a Sepahi in 1977 and started participating in inter-unit competitions where he gained instant success.
[1] Alam competed in the men's 200 metres at the 1988 Summer Olympics.
[2] Less than a year after competing in the 1990 Commonwealth Games, Alam was killed in a motorcycle crash.