A worrying trail of deception

The findings by Fortify Rights and Truth Hounds that more than 100 Bangladeshis were misled and forced into fighting for Russia in its war against Ukraine—with at least 34 reportedly killed—are both shocking and deeply regrettable. The report, based on interviews conducted in Bangladesh and Ukraine with survivors, families and prisoners of war, exposes a disturbing pattern of deception in the recruitment of desperate, unemployed young men. Some of them believed they were heading to factory jobs in Europe; others thought they would take on non-combat roles linked to the military. Instead, many were deployed to the front lines without adequate military training or even basic language skills.

The result is, young men who sought overseas employment to support their families have returned home in coffins, if at all. Others have come back injured or deeply traumatised. Equally tragic is the financial devastation left behind: many families borrowed heavily to pay brokers, shelling out between $1,000 and $5,000 per person in the hope of securing legitimate jobs abroad. In numerous cases, they lost both their sons and their life savings, leaving them trapped in debt. Although the report identifies at least 104 such victims, experts believe the actual number could be significantly higher.

Perhaps most troubling is our government’s failure on two fronts. First, it has been unable to curb the illegal activities of brokers and human traffickers who facilitate such recruitment. Second, it has not taken sufficient diplomatic steps to prevent Russia-linked groups from recruiting Bangladeshis and placing them in harm’s way. In the absence of any formal labour migration agreement between Bangladesh and Russia, the government should press Moscow to immediately stop employing Bangladeshis in military roles or in any capacity linked to its operations in Ukraine. One particular concern in this connection has been the apparent inaction in repatriating the bodies of those killed. The report cites anguished families who described prolonged delays, a lack of clear communication, and insufficient empathy from the authorities in response to their requests to bring their loved ones’ bodies home.

The government must address this matter urgently and fulfil its fundamental obligation to its citizens. Finally, there must be a thorough investigation to identify and prosecute the recruiters who deceived these young men and sent them to fight in a foreign war in which Bangladesh has no direct stake. This must be done without delay. It is also imperative to establish the true number of those recruited and to determine whether any ideological networks or other organised interests were involved in facilitating their deployment.