A human trafficking ring allegedly lured 30 Bangladeshis to Russia with promises of jobs at construction companies before forcing them to join the country's military and sending them to the front lines of the Russia-Ukraine war after just 21 days of training, where at least 20 have died in drone strikes, according to preliminary findings by the Special Response Battalion (SRB).
The SRB has arrested two alleged ringleaders in the case - Mizanur Rahman, 55, founder of Jabale Nur International, and Abu Taher, alias Lentu, 50. Efforts are underway to identify and arrest other members of the trafficking ring.
SRB-10 Battalion Commander Additional Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Md Asaduzzaman disclosed the information at a press conference at the force's media centre in Dhaka's Karwan Bazar today (14 October).
The SRB's preliminary investigation found that the Bangladeshis were sent to the battlefield without adequate military training or preparation. It suspects they may have been used as a form of "bait" to identify enemy positions.
According to the SRB's assessment, drone strikes on the Bangladeshis may have enabled opposing forces to determine the attackers' positions and distance.
30 people recruited under construction job promises
According to SRB, at least 30 Bangladeshis were taken to Russia on 7 May this year through three companies named Jabale Nur, RS International, and TS Group. Each person was charged an average of around Tk10 lakh on the promise of jobs at construction companies.
However, upon arriving in Russia, their passports and mobile phones were confiscated, and they were handed over to the Russian military. After just 21 days of military training, they were deployed to various areas to fight in the Russia-Ukraine war, according to preliminary findings.
At the press conference, Asaduzzaman said, "Those taken from Bangladesh were not qualified for warfare. They had no physical, tactical or military training for combat."
"What we have understood is that they were sent to the battlefield as a kind of bait to identify the opposing side's positions. When the opposing side [Ukraine] launches drone attacks on them, that country [Russia] can identify the enemy's positions," he said.
17 reportedly killed on the first day
According to the SRB's preliminary findings, the Bangladeshi nationals were deployed across three sections of the battlefield — the front line, middle, and rear. Seventeen of them were killed in drone strikes on the very first day, and information about the deaths of three more at different times was received later.
In total, the SRB has preliminarily confirmed the deaths of 20 of the 30 Bangladeshis who were lured to Russia.
However, detailed information about the recovery of the victims' bodies or their identification was not shared at the press conference.
According to SRB's findings, of the survivors, two returned to Bangladesh with injuries, while another two are receiving treatment at a hospital in Moscow. The remaining six are still on the battlefield.