Bangladeshi men trafficked to fight Russia’s war in Ukraine after being promised work in Cyprus

Several Bangladeshi men have reportedly been trafficked into the Russian military and deployed to Ukraine after being promised employment abroad, including in Cyprus, according to reports by Deutsche Welle (DW) and Agence France-Presse (AFP).​

Victims and their families allege that Dhaka-based recruitment agencies charged approximately $8,000 per person, offering jobs in countries like Cyprus or Russia.

One victim, Mohammad Akram Hossain, recounted to AFP that he and his brother-in-law had registered with a recruiting agency and were originally promised jobs in Cyprus. “We had no idea we’d end up on the battlefield,” said Hossain, now back home in Bangladesh.

“The recruiting agency said that only work visas for Russia were available, and we agreed to go. But we never imagined we would be abandoned like that,” Hossain said.​ Upon arrival, the men were allegedly coerced into signing documents in Russian, unknowingly enlisting them into the Russian armed forces.​

Another victim, Arman Mondol, told DW that he was promised work as a cleaner but was instead sent to a military training camp and subsequently deployed to Ukraine, where he sustained injuries from a landmine. Another individual, Aminul, was reported missing for weeks before his family received confirmation of his involvement in the conflict.​

In a separate case reported by AFP, 22-year-old Mohammed Yasin Sheikh was allegedly killed while serving in the Russian army. His family stated that he left Bangladesh in September 2024, after a broker promised him work with a Chinese company in Russia as an electrician, but he ended up joining the Russian army in December.​

Abul Hashem, Sheikh’s uncle, said the family was called by his friend during the Muslim holiday of Eid at the end of March.

“Yasin’s friend, who is also fighting for the Russian side and a Bangladeshi, called us on Eid and informed us that Yasin had been killed,” Hashem told AFP.

“We spent a lot to send him, and now we are waiting for his dead body,” Hashem said.

Bangladesh’s embassy in Moscow has said around a dozen families have contacted them seeking to bring back their sons they allege were duped into joining the Russian army.​

Bangladeshi authorities have initiated legal proceedings against the accused recruiters. One woman has been arrested in connection with alleged human trafficking, and six other cases have been opened, according to Mustafizur Rahman, superintendent of police at the Criminal Investigation Department.​

The Bangladeshi government has acknowledged the issue, with Foreign Affairs Advisor Touhid Hossain stating that individuals are being coerced into the conflict through deceptive recruitment practices. Efforts are underway to repatriate affected citizens and dismantle the trafficking networks involved.​

Bangladeshi police suspect that at least 67 individuals are involved in similar trafficking operations, luring citizens abroad under false pretenses.