UN probe says Bangladeshis among nationals of 29 countries trafficked into Russian army

October 28, 2026

DHAKA – Bangladeshis were among nationals of 29 countries trafficked into the Russian armed forces through deception or coercion, with many lured by promises of well-paid civilian jobs before being sent to fight in Ukraine, a United Nations investigation has found.

Recruits were often forced to sign military contracts written in Russian, a language most could not understand; many were killed or went missing, leaving their families struggling to establish their fate, it added.

UN’s Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine also obtained copies of business visas issued to Bangladeshi recruits, showing that a civilian company in Russia had invited them.

The findings, presented to the UN General Assembly’s Third Committee yesterday, come amid growing concerns over Bangladeshis seeking jobs in Russia and reports of workers being forced into combat, killed or captured.

Despite the risks, data from the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training’s (BMET) Overseas Employment Platform show that 7,949 employment clearances were issued for Russia from Bangladesh between January 1, 2025, and October 27, 2026.

A joint investigation by Fortify Rights and Truth Hounds in March this year identified at least 104 Bangladeshis recruited into the Russian military, at least 34 of whom were reportedly killed. Families of several victims were still struggling to confirm their deaths or bring their bodies home.

The UN report did not specify how many Bangladeshis had been trafficked, killed or reported missing.

The commission investigated recruitment involving nationals of 48 countries and found evidence of deceptive or coercive practices involving people from 29 countries, including Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, Kenya, Nigeria and Uzbekistan.

Its findings were based on 245 testimonies from recruits, their families and other sources, as well as documents including employment invitations, visas, travel records and contracts with the Russian Ministry of Defence.

The commission concluded that Russian authorities, working with recruitment agents in various countries, had committed human trafficking and other human rights violations.

Recruitment agents advertised lucrative civilian jobs in Russia as security guards, drivers, mechanics, electricians, construction workers and technicians. Some also promised Russian citizenship, comfortable accommodation, pensions and other benefits.

The offers appeared credible, particularly to people from poor economic backgrounds with little or no military experience. Agents arranged visas, air tickets and accommodation, sometimes accompanying recruits on their journeys.

After arriving in Russia, however, the men were taken to temporary accommodation and handed over to the military. Many were compelled to sign one-year contracts with the Russian Ministry of Defence, written only in Russian.

Their passports and mobile phones were often confiscated, restricting communication and attempts to escape. Some were threatened with violence when they refused to sign.

Military training lasted anywhere from 20 minutes to a few days or up to a month before deployment.

On the frontlines in Ukraine, recruits were assigned dangerous tasks, including advancing towards enemy positions, digging trenches and collecting the bodies of fallen soldiers. Many were killed, injured or went missing soon after deployment, the report said.

In one case documented by the commission, a civilian company gave 30 recruits written assurances that they would not be sent to the Russia-Ukraine war. Yet 17 were subsequently killed on the frontline, five went missing and one returned injured. The commission did not identify their nationalities.

Investigators also found that recruitment agents and military personnel sometimes diverted promised salaries and bonuses, leaving victims and their families in financial distress.

Bangladeshis caught in the war

The Daily Star had earlier reported allegations that Bangladeshis lured to Russia with promises of civilian jobs were forced into military service and sent to fight in Ukraine.

In April last year, the Criminal Investigation Department’s Human Trafficking Cell found that Dhaka-based Dream Home Travel had trafficked around 20 Bangladeshis to Russia with promises of civilian jobs paying Tk 2 lakh to Tk 2.5 lakh a month. At least three were reportedly killed after allegedly being forced into combat.

On October 14, the Special Response Battalion (SRB) said 20 of a group of 30 Bangladeshis sent to Russia with promises of construction jobs had been killed in the war. Seventeen reportedly died in drone strikes on their first day on the frontline, while three others died later.

According to the SRB, the workers travelled to Russia on May 7 through three recruitment agencies, paying an average of Tk 10 lakh each. Instead of receiving construction jobs, they were handed over to the Russian military and deployed after just 21 days of training.

The elite force arrested two alleged members of the trafficking network on October 13.

Shariful Islam Hasan, associate director of BRAC’s Migration Programme, said the organisation had published a report last year on the recruitment of Bangladeshis into the Russian military and warned about the risks at the time.

He said the government must take urgent steps to prevent more Bangladeshis from becoming involved in the war.

“It is equally important to trace the whereabouts of around 8,500 Bangladeshis who travelled legally to Russia over the last two years. The government needs to find out how many are still working there, how many have become involved in the war and how many are still alive,” he added.

He also called for an investigation into Bangladeshis who travelled to Russia on tourist visas, in light of the UN commission’s findings.

The UN commission said that recruiting foreign nationals through deception and coercion constituted human trafficking and called on Russia to immediately release victims still serving in its armed forces. It also recommended investigating and prosecuting those involved in the recruitment networks.

It stressed that victims trafficked into the Russian military should not be treated as mercenaries. Those who were captured or surrendered were entitled to protection as prisoners of war under the Third Geneva Convention, it added.