Bangladeshi Workers Lured To Russia, Forced To Fight In Ukraine War

by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Europe Bureau Chief

DHAKA/MOSCOW/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – Bangladeshi migrant workers say they were deceived into traveling to Russia for civilian jobs, only to be forced into military service and sent to fight in Ukraine, according to an investigation published Tuesday.

The Associated Press (AP) news agency spoke with three Bangladeshi men who escaped from the Russian military, including Maksudur Rahman, who said recruiters promised him work as a janitor before he was compelled to sign Russian-language documents that turned out to be military contracts.

Rahman recalled that he and others were taken to army camps, trained in basic combat, drone operations, and medical evacuation, and later deployed to front-line positions in Ukraine. When he protested, a Russian commander allegedly told him through a translation application: “Your agent sent you here. We bought you.”

The men described being threatened with violence, imprisonment, or death if they refused orders, and said they were often sent ahead of Russian troops to perform dangerous tasks such as carrying supplies, evacuating wounded soldiers, and recovering bodies.

The accounts were corroborated by documents reviewed by AP, including travel papers, Russian military contracts, medical records, police reports, and photographs showing injuries sustained in combat.

FAMILIES CONCERNED ABOUT THE MISSING

Families of at least three other Bangladeshi men reported missing said their relatives sent similar messages before contact was lost.

Bangladeshi officials and activists say hundreds of Bangladeshis may have been coerced into fighting, though the exact number remains unclear.

Rights groups and officials say Russia has also recruited or coerced men from other African and South Asian countries, including India and Nepal, as it seeks to replenish troops amid heavy losses in Ukraine.

Neither the Russian Defense Ministry, the Russian Foreign Ministry, nor the Bangladeshi government responded to AP’s requests for comment.

Bangladesh police have launched investigations into human trafficking networks, charging intermediaries accused of funneling workers to Russia under false pretenses. Investigators estimate dozens of Bangladeshis may have died in the war.

RUSSIA SEEKING MORE FOREIGN RECRUITS

Officials and rights groups say Russia has increasingly sought foreign recruits as its forces suffer heavy casualties in the Ukraine war, turning to men from Asia and Africa, including Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and even North Korea, to help replenish its ranks.

Neither the Russian Defense Ministry, the Russian Foreign Ministry, nor the Bangladeshi government responded to AP’s questions.

Families of the missing say they have received no wages or compensation, and continue to appeal for government intervention.

“I don’t want money or anything else,” said one wife whose Bangladeshi husband disappeared after being sent to the front. “I just want my children’s father back.”

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