Twenty of 30 Bangladeshis allegedly recruited for construction jobs in Russia have been killed after being forced to fight in the Russia-Ukraine war, the Special Response Battalion (SRB) says.
Seventeen died in a drone strike on their first day at the front, with three others dying later, Additional DIG Asaduzzaman, commander of SRB-10, told a news conference in Dhaka on Wednesday.
The findings emerged during an investigation into a human trafficking case filed by the father of Rajon Hossain, 21, who returned home wounded.
Two alleged recruiters, Mizanur Rahman, 55, and Abu Taher Lentu, 50, were arrested on Tuesday.
Investigators say the network, with help from two people in Russia and Kyrgyzstan, recruited young men from nine districts through three companies: Jabal-e-Nur, RS International and TS Group.
Each victim reportedly paid around Tk 1 million.
Rajon was allegedly charged Tk 825,000 for a construction job.
After arriving in Russia on May 7, he and about 30 others were forced into the Russian Army, given 21 days of training and sent to the front.
A drone strike fractured Rajon’s pelvis and left him unable to move his legs.
He reportedly crawled nearly four kilometres to reach a camp, spent four days struggling to get to hospital, and eventually escaped. With embassy assistance, he returned to Bangladesh on Aug 23.
His family alleged that Mizanur threatened and attempted to assault them after they demanded compensation.
Rajon’s father then filed a case under Bangladesh’s anti-human trafficking and migrant smuggling law.
SRB says two returnees are recovering in Bangladesh, two others remain in a Moscow hospital and six are still on the battlefield.
Investigators are searching for other members of the network.