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Two men have been arrested on suspicion of trafficking around 30 Bangladeshis to Russia with promises of high-paying jobs and forcing them to join the Russia-Ukraine war, the Special Response Battalion (SRB) said on Wednesday.
At least 20 Bangladeshis have died, while two others reportedly managed to escape and return home, according to the law enforcement agency.
The arrestees are Mizanur Rahman, 55, identified as the alleged ringleader of the trafficking network, and Abu Taher Lentu, 50.
Mohammad Asaduzzaman, commander of SRB-10 and an additional deputy inspector general, disclosed the information at a press briefing at the SRB media centre in Karwan Bazar, Dhaka.
He said the two suspects were arrested in separate raids late Tuesday night — Mizanur in Atail area under Nagarkanda Police Station in Faridpur and Lentu in Kaliganj of Jhenaidah.
According to the SRB, the suspects sent Rajon Hossain, 21, to Russia for Tk8.25 lakh, promising him a job at a construction site. After arriving in Russia on May 7, Rajon was allegedly forced to join the Russian military.
Following 21 days of training, he and around 30 other Bangladeshis were sent to the front lines of the war, the agency said.
Rajon sustained a fractured pelvic bone in a drone attack and lost the ability to use both legs. After reaching a hospital following four days of suffering, he received treatment and later escaped while injured. With assistance from the Bangladesh embassy, he returned home on August 23.
The SRB said Mizanur threatened Rajon’s family and attempted to intimidate them after they demanded compensation. Rajon’s father subsequently filed a human trafficking and migrant smuggling case with Kaliganj Police Station in Jhenaidah.
Investigators believe the network lured around 30 Bangladeshis to Russia with promises of lucrative employment before forcing them into the conflict. Besides the reported deaths and returnees, two people are receiving treatment at a local hospital in Russia, while six remain on the battlefield, the SRB said.
The agency identified Mizanur as chairman of Jabal-e-Noor International Agency, through which 21 victims were allegedly sent to Russia. Investigators also found suspected links to two other individuals, identified as Mostafizur Rahman and Ali, as well as two organisations named Hares International and TS Group.
According to the SRB, Mizanur handled the victims’ travel arrangements, from passport processing to boarding flights. The victims allegedly contacted him after discovering that the jobs promised to them were not what they had been led to expect, but he failed to bring them home.
The agency further alleged that the Bangladeshis were sent to the front lines as targets to help Russian forces identify the locations and distances of enemy attacks, including drone strikes.
The allegations are under investigation.