Bangladeshi workers tricked into Russian jobs forced onto Ukraine battlefield

Bangladeshi migrant workers who travelled to Russia after being promised civilian employment were instead coerced into fighting in the war in Ukraine, according to an investigation that has uncovered accounts of deception, violence and forced conscription.

The findings come from an Associated Press (AP) investigation, which spoke to Bangladeshi men who managed to escape the Russian military, as well as families of others who are missing or believed dead after being sent to the front lines.

One of the survivors, Maksudur Rahman from Lakshmipur, said a labour broker persuaded him to travel to Russia in late 2024 with the promise of a janitorial job and a monthly salary of $1,000 to $1,500, along with prospects of permanent residency. Within weeks of arriving in Moscow, he said he was made to sign documents written in Russian that later turned out to be military contracts.

After signing, Rahman and other Bangladeshi workers were taken to an army camp, issued weapons and given brief training in drone operations, medical evacuation, and basic combat skills before being sent near the Ukraine border.

When Rahman protested that he had agreed only to civilian work, a Russian commander responded through a translation app, "Your agent sent you here. We bought you."

Rahman and two other Bangladeshi men told AP they were forced to carry out dangerous front-line tasks, including advancing ahead of Russian troops, transporting supplies, evacuating wounded soldiers, and retrieving bodies. They said refusal often resulted in beatings and threats of imprisonment.

"They'd say, 'Why don't you work? Why are you crying?' and kick us," Rahman said, adding that workers were threatened with 10-year prison sentences.

AP reported that the men's accounts were supported by documents such as Russian military contracts, visas, medical records, and photographs showing injuries sustained during combat. Families of at least three other Bangladeshis who are missing said their relatives had shared similar stories before communication stopped.

Neither the Russian defence nor the foreign ministries nor the Bangladeshi government responded to AP's questions.

Overseas work and broken promises

Migrant labour is a vital lifeline for families in districts like Lakshmipur, where poverty and job scarcity push men abroad for years at a time. Rahman had previously worked in Malaysia and returned home seeking new employment when a recruiter offered him the Russia job. He said he took out loans to pay a fee of TK1.2 million (about $9,800) to the broker.

Another returnee, Mohan Miajee from Munshiganj, said he was recruited by the Russian army after leaving a civilian job in the country's far east due to harsh conditions. He said a recruiter assured him he would work in electronic warfare or drone units far from combat because of his background as an electrician.

Instead, Miajee said he was taken to Avdiivka in January 2025 and told by a commander, "You have been made to sign a contract to join the battalion. You cannot do any other work here. You have been deceived."

He said he was beaten, handcuffed and tortured whenever he resisted orders, and forced to carry supplies and collect bodies from the battlefield.

BBC investigation reveals how one woman lured foreign men to fight on Russia's front line

Death, escape and unanswered questions

Rahman said he was wounded during a drone attack and taken to a hospital near Moscow. He later escaped from the medical centre and sought help from the Bangladeshi embassy, which assisted his return home. He later helped his brother-in-law flee in the same way.

Families of missing workers say they are clutching onto documents and final messages from their loved ones, hoping they may one day lead to answers. 

One woman, Salma Akdar, said her husband Ajgar Hussein told her he had been "sold" to the Russian army and was threatened with being shot or starved if he refused to fight.

In his last message, Hussein told his wife: "Please pray for me." 

She has not heard from him since March.

Another father, Mohammed Siraj, said his 20-year-old son Sajjad, who believed he would work as a chef in Russia, was killed in a drone attack. Siraj said his wife later died after learning of their son's death.

Trafficking networks under investigation

Following complaints from families, BRAC, a Bangladeshi organisation that supports migrant workers, launched its own inquiry and identified at least 10 Bangladeshis still missing after being lured to Russia.

"There are two or three layers of people who are profiting," said Shariful Islam, head of BRAC's migration programme.

Bangladeshi police have since uncovered what they describe as a trafficking network involving local intermediaries and contacts in Russia. One middleman, a Bangladeshi with Russian citizenship, has been charged, according to investigators.

A police investigator told AP that around 40 Bangladeshis may have died in the war so far, though the true number remains unclear. Some, he said, may have knowingly taken the risk because of the high pay.

Families say they have not received any of the money their relatives were promised.

"I don't want money or anything else," Akdar said. "I just want my children's father back."