An alarming pattern of deception and coercion has emerged in an investigative report by the international news agency Associated Press (AP), revealing how Bangladeshi workers are being lured to Russia with promises of regular jobs, only to be forcibly sent to fight in the Ukraine war.
According to the report, workers from Bangladesh and other South Asian countries were recruited under the pretext of employment as cleaners, electricians, or general laborers. However, after arriving in Russia, many found themselves trapped in a brutal reality—compelled to join the Russian military and deployed to the front lines of the Ukraine conflict.
The AP report highlights the ordeal of Maksudur Rahman from Lakshmipur, Bangladesh. Hoping to work as a cleaner, he traveled to Russia but within weeks of arriving in Moscow, he was sent directly to the war zone in Ukraine. Maksudur stated that upon arrival, he and other Bangladeshi workers were forced to sign documents that were later revealed to be military contracts.
Following this, they were taken to a military training camp where they received instruction in drone operations, transporting wounded soldiers, and handling heavy weapons. When they protested, a Russian commander reportedly used a translation app to tell them, “Your agent sent you here. We bought you.”
Maksudur alleged that refusal to comply resulted in physical abuse and threats of up to 10 years in prison. After seven months, he managed to escape and return to Bangladesh, but several other Bangladeshi workers who traveled with him remain missing.
AP reports that it reviewed extensive evidence supporting these claims, including travel documents, Russian military contracts, medical and police records, and photographs from the battlefield. These materials clearly indicate that foreign workers were coerced into direct participation in the war.
At least three Bangladeshi victims told AP they were forced into frontline roles against their will. Their duties reportedly included advancing ahead of Russian troops, carrying supplies, evacuating wounded soldiers, and removing bodies of the dead.
The investigation notes that this practice is not limited to Bangladeshis. Citizens of India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka have reported similar experiences. Officials from Kenya, South Africa, Jordan, and Iraq have also confirmed that their nationals were affected by the same scheme.
The report also recounts the experience of Mohon Miaji from Munshiganj, Bangladesh. Initially employed as an electrician at a gas processing plant in Russia, he later joined the Russian military due to extreme cold and harsh working conditions. A Russian recruiter allegedly assured him that he would serve in a technical or drone unit, not on the battlefield. However, upon reaching a military camp near Avdiivka in Ukraine, he realized he had been deceived.
Mohon claimed that disobedience was punished with severe beatings using shovels, handcuffing, and confinement in underground cells. He also said that language barriers often led to misunderstandings that resulted in physical abuse.
According to AP, neither Russia’s Ministry of Defense nor its Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded to requests for comment. The Bangladeshi government also did not reply to AP’s inquiries. Meanwhile, families of missing workers have filed complaints at local police stations in Bangladesh and repeatedly traveled to Dhaka seeking government intervention.
One such family member, Salma Akter, said her husband Azgar Hossain last contacted her on March 26 last year. During that call, he said he had been “sold” to the Russian military. In his final voice message, Azgar pleaded, “Pray for me.”
