Three young men from Gopalpur upazila of Tangail went to Russia hoping to earn money, repay their debts and improve their families’ lives. Instead of construction jobs, they found themselves on the Russia-Ukraine battlefield, where they were killed in drone strikes, leaving their families grieving and struggling with debt.
The deceased are Nazrul Islam of Bir Naldhara village, Pabitra Chandra Sutradhaar of Majidpur village and Aminul Islam of Dakshin Pathalia village. All three travelled to Russia on May 7 for construction work.
Their families alleged that after arriving in Russia, their passports and mobile phones were confiscated, and they were handed over to the Russian military and sent to the battlefield.
On October 14, the Special Response Battalion (SRB) said 30 Bangladeshis travelled through Jabal Noor, RS International and TS Group, paying an average of Tk10 lakh each. After 21 days of military training, they were deployed to the battlefield. Preliminary findings suggested the Bangladeshis were used as “bait” to identify enemy positions through drone attacks. Twenty of the 30 were reported dead.
Nazrul’s family mortgaged inherited land to raise Tk9 lakh for his journey. His nephew, Mohammad Hishab, said Nazrul last spoke to his family on July 29, saying he was being sent to war and asking relatives to look after his mother and children. He left behind two sons from his first marriage and two young children from his second.
Pabitra, a carpenter, sold his wife’s gold jewellery and borrowed money from a non-governmental organisation and local lenders to raise nearly Tk10 lakh. His family last contacted him on May 29 before learning of his reported death from fellow travellers.
His 75-year-old father, Paresh Chandra, alleged that Pabitra was forced to sign military recruitment documents. “If my son is alive, I want him back. If he is dead, I want his body,” he said, seeking government assistance.
Pabitra’s wife, Joya, is struggling to raise their two daughters, aged 10 and eight, amid mounting debt.
Aminul, 35, incurred Tk5-6 lakh in business losses before mortgaging land and borrowing money to arrange nearly Tk10 lakh for his journey. He left behind his wife, Beauty Begum, two young sons and a daughter.
His brother, Kamrul Hasan, said Aminul last called on May 29, warning that mines were underground and drones overhead. He urged the family to contact the government to save them. Kamrul later learned that 12 of the 16 people in Aminul’s group had died.
The families have appealed to the government to take steps regarding their missing or deceased relatives and provide financial assistance to help them overcome their mounting debts.