Bangladesh police have arrested two people accused of trafficking dozens of citizens to Russia to fight as frontline bait in the war against Ukraine.
DHAKA: Authorities in Bangladesh have arrested two people suspected of luring locals and sending them to Russia to act as “bait” in Moscow’s war against Ukraine, police said Wednesday.
Citizens of some countries, particularly in Africa, have reported being forcibly conscripted into the Russian army to fight in Ukraine after being lured with promises of jobs in Russia since the war began in 2022.
The two individuals arrested in Bangladesh, identified as Mizanur Rahman and Abu Taher, “trafficked at least 30 individuals to Russia” by promising them high-paying jobs, Mohammad Asaduzzaman, commander of the elite police force Special Response Battalion, told reporters.
Seventeen of the trafficking victims, who arrived in Russia in early May, were killed on the first day of deployment after being given minimal training, Asaduzzaman said. A total of 20 Bangladeshis have been confirmed dead.
“Bangladeshis were used as bait to locate enemy positions,” he said. “Russian forces determined their next course of action after the Bangladeshis fell victim to drone attacks.”
The Russian embassy in Dhaka could not be reached immediately for comment.
While most of the group sent to Russia have died, two managed to escape and were later sent back to Bangladesh. Two others are in a hospital in Moscow, while six remain on the battlefield.
Asaduzzaman said the authorities were looking for another Bangladeshi citizen who was also part of the alleged trafficking network, as well as a Russian man and a woman from Kyrgyzstan.
Last month, Amnesty International accused Russia of using “deceptive, coercive and exploitative practices” to recruit foreigners to fight on the Ukrainian front.
Recruits from South Asian nations — including India, Nepal and Sri Lanka — have been reported to have fought for Russia, often lured by promises of work.