Bangladesh police say 20 died in Russia war trafficking

Bangladesh authorities have arrested two people suspected of trafficking locals to Russia for Moscow's war against Ukraine, where police said 20 Bangladeshis have been confirmed dead.

The two arrested people were identified as Mizanur Rahman and Abu Taher. Mohammad Asaduzzaman, commander of the elite police force Special Response Battalion, said they trafficked at least 30 people to Russia by promising high-paying jobs.

Asaduzzaman said 17 of the victims, who arrived in Russia in early May, were killed on their first day of deployment after receiving minimal training.

“Bangladeshis were used as bait to locate enemy positions,” he said. He said Russian forces decided their next course of action after the Bangladeshis were hit by drone attacks.

Police said most of the group sent to Russia had died. Two people escaped and were later returned to Bangladesh, two others were in a hospital in Moscow and six remained on the battlefield, according to Asaduzzaman.

He said authorities were looking for another Bangladeshi citizen suspected of involvement in the alleged trafficking network, as well as a Russian man and a woman from Kyrgyzstan.

Last month, Amnesty International accused Russia of using “deceptive, coercive and exploitative practices” to recruit foreigners to fight on the Ukrainian front. Recruits from South Asian countries including India, Nepal and Sri Lanka have been reported to have fought for Russia, often after being promised work.