Around 20 Bangladeshis have been killed after being trafficked to Russia and forced to join the Russia-Ukraine war, while two others have escaped and returned home, the Special Response Battalion (SRB) said on Wednesday.
According to SRB officials, members of a human trafficking ring lured around 30 Bangladeshis to Russia with promises of high-paying jobs before forcing them to join the Russian military.
Additional DIG Md Asaduzzaman, commander of SRB-10, disclosed the information at a briefing at the SRB Media Centre in Karwan Bazar, Dhaka.
He said the victims were sent to the frontline after 21 days of training. They were allegedly used as human shields to help identify enemy positions and determine the locations and distances of attacks, particularly drone strikes.
SRB members have arrested two suspected members of the trafficking ring: Mizanur Rahman, 55, chairman of Jabal-e-Noor International Agency, and Md Abu Taher Lentu, 50.
Asaduzzaman said separate operations late Tuesday night in Atail area under Nagarkanda Police Station in Faridpur and Kaliganj area in Jhenaidah led to the arrests of Mizanur and Lentu, respectively.
He said the accused had sent Rajon Hossain, 21, to Russia for Tk 8.25 lakh, promising him a job at a construction site.
Rajon arrived in Russia on May 7 but was allegedly forced to join the Russian military. After 21 days of continuous training, he and around 30 other Bangladeshis were sent to the frontline of the Russia-Ukraine war.
Rajon sustained serious injuries in a drone attack, including a fractured pelvic bone and a loss of strength in both legs, the SRB official said.
After suffering for four days, Rajon managed to reach a hospital for treatment. He eventually escaped and returned to Bangladesh on August 23 with assistance from the Bangladesh Embassy.
Asaduzzaman alleged that when Rajon later sought compensation, Mizanur verbally 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 relevant laws on human trafficking and the prevention and suppression of migrant smuggling.
According to the SRB official, 20 of the Bangladeshis died, while two escaped and returned to the country. Of the remaining eight, two were injured and receiving treatment at hospitals in Russia, while six remained on the battlefield.
Investigators have also identified the alleged involvement of two other individuals, Mostafizur Rahman and Ali, in sending the remaining victims to Russia, Asaduzzaman said.
The investigation has identified two organisations, Hares International and TS Group, as allegedly linked to the trafficking network.
The SRB official said Mizanur handled arrangements for the victims, from processing their passports to arranging their flights to Russia.
After arriving and discovering the true nature of their work, the victims contacted Mizanur and pleaded for help to return to Bangladesh, but he ignored their appeals, Asaduzzaman said.
He added that investigators had also found indications of the involvement of two Russian nationals in the trafficking network operating from Bangladesh.