DHAKA: Bangladeshi men were reportedly deceived into joining the Ukraine war under the false promise of civilian work in Russia, an Associated Press (AP) investigation has found.
Labor agents in impoverished Bangladeshi communities approached men in late 2024, offering jobs as cooks, cleaners, and launderers in Russian army garrisons. Some were even promised long-term residency. Believing these offers, many took loans or sold property to pay recruitment fees.
However, upon arrival, the men were coerced into signing military contracts written in Russian, which they did not understand. Three men — Maksudur Rahman, Mohan Miajee, and Jehangir Alam — who escaped from Russia, described being forced to transport supplies to front-line positions, evacuate the wounded, collect dead bodies, and, in some cases, act as human shields.
Many others remain missing. AP documented their stories through interviews with the missing men’s families and supporting documents such as visas, contracts, and army dog tags. A Bangladeshi police investigator suggested that about 40 Bangladeshis may have died in the war, while the exact number currently serving remains unclear.
Some men voluntarily enlisted after being promised non-combat roles, such as electronic warfare or drone operations, but were later assigned to front-line duties under threat, abuse, and torture.
Bangladeshi authorities have launched an investigation into the trafficking network that allegedly recruited these men. The probe, initiated after a man returned from Russia in January 2025, has identified nine other victims and led to the arrest of a key Bangladeshi national with Russian citizenship living in Moscow. Many recruits were sent through a now-defunct agency, SP Global.
Neither the Russian Defense Ministry nor the Bangladeshi government responded to AP’s requests for comment.
The investigation highlights a systematic pattern of deception by labor recruiters who lured Bangladeshi men with promises of safe, lucrative work, only to trap them into a dangerous conflict abroad.
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