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Around 20 Bangladeshis have been killed after being trafficked to Russia on promises of high-paying jobs and forced to fight in the Russia-Ukraine war, while two others have managed to return home, police said on Wednesday.
The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB)-10 arrested two alleged members of the human trafficking ring, including its alleged ringleader, in separate raids on October 13.
RAB-10 Commander Additional Deputy Inspector General Mohammad Asaduzzaman disclosed the information at a press conference at the RAB Media Centre in Karwan Bazar, Dhaka, on Wednesday.
The arrestees were identified as Mizanur Rahman, 55, of Char Harirampur in Faridpur’s Charbhadrasan upazila, and Abu Taher Lentu, 50, of Ektarpur in Kaliganj upazila of Jhenaidah.
According to Asaduzzaman, the trafficking ring sent Rajon Hossain, 21, from Rajbari to Russia for Tk 825,000, promising him a construction job.
After arriving in Russia on May 7, Rajon and around 30 other Bangladeshis were detained and forced to join the Russian army. Following basic training, they were deployed to the front lines of the Russia-Ukraine war, he said.
Rajon sustained severe injuries in a drone attack, which fractured his pelvic bone and left him unable to use both legs. He managed to reach a hospital after four days and received treatment.
He later escaped while injured and returned to Bangladesh on August 23 with assistance from the Bangladesh embassy, the RAB commander said.
When Rajon sought compensation, Mizanur allegedly abused his family members, attempted to assault them and threatened to kill them.
Following a complaint filed by Rajon’s father, a case was lodged with Kaliganj Police Station in Jhenaidah under the Prevention and Suppression of Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling Act.
Acting on a request from the case’s investigating officer, RAB-10 arrested Mizanur in a raid in Atrail area of Nagarkanda upazila in Faridpur early on October 13. A team from RAB-6 arrested Abu Taher in Kaliganj, Jhenaidah, on the same day.
Preliminary interrogation suggests that the ring trafficked around 30 Bangladeshis to Russia by luring them with promises of lucrative jobs and then forced them to participate in the war. Around 20 of them have reportedly died, while only two, including Rajon, have returned home alive.
Legal proceedings against the arrestees are under way, Asaduzzaman said.
