20 Bangladeshis reportedly killed after traffickers lured them to Russia with job offers

Around 20 Bangladeshis have reportedly been killed after being trafficked to Russia with promises of high-paying jobs and subsequently forced to fight in the Russia-Ukraine war, the Special Response Battalion (SRB) said on Wednesday.

The battalion has arrested two alleged key members of the human trafficking ring accused of sending the victims to Russia.

The arrestees are Mizanur Rahman, 55, and Md Abu Taher Lentu, 50, who were detained in separate operations on October 13.

According to the SRB, the ring allegedly trafficked around 30 Bangladeshis to Russia by promising them lucrative employment before forcing them to join the war. Of them, around 20 have reportedly died, while two managed to escape and return to Bangladesh.

One of the alleged victims, Rajon Hossain, 21, was sent to Russia for construction work in exchange for 825,000 taka, according to the case details. After arriving in Russia on May 7, he and around 30 others were allegedly forced to join the Russian military.

Following military training, Rajon was sent to the front lines of the Russia-Ukraine war, where a drone attack fractured his pelvic bone and left him unable to use both legs properly.

After enduring four days of suffering, he reached a hospital for treatment. He later escaped while injured and returned to Bangladesh on August 23, 2026, with assistance from the embassy concerned.

The case details state that when Rajon subsequently demanded compensation, Mizanur allegedly abused his family members, attempted to assault them and threatened to kill them.

Following a complaint by Rajon's father, a case was filed with Kaliganj Police Station in Jhenaidah under the law on preventing and suppressing human trafficking and migrant smuggling.

Based on a requisition from the case's investigating officer, an SRB-10 team arrested Mizanur in the Atail area under Nagarkanda Police Station in Faridpur at around 5:20am on October 13.

Mizanur is the son of Omar Ali Sardar and a resident of Char Harirampur under Charbhadrasan Police Station in Faridpur.

On the same day, SRB-6 arrested Lentu in the Kaliganj area of Jhenaidah over his alleged involvement in the trafficking operation. He is the son of the late Amzad Ali Biswas and a resident of Ektapur village under Kaliganj Police Station