Workers from Bangladesh sought jobs in Russia but instead got sent to combat in Ukraine
LAKSHMIPUR, Bangladesh (AP) A labor recruiter persuaded Maksudur Rahman to leave the tropical warmth of his hometown in Bangladesh and travel thousands of miles to frigid Russia for a job as a janitor.
Within weeks, he found himself on the front lines of Russias war in Ukraine.
An Associated Press investigation found that Bangladeshi workers were lured to Russia under the false promise of civilian work, only to be thrust into the chaos of combat in Ukraine. Many were threatened with violence, imprisonment or death.
AP spoke with three Bangladeshi men who escaped from the Russian military, including Rahman, who said that after arriving in Moscow, he and a group of fellow Bangladeshi workers were told to sign Russian documents that turned out to be military contracts. They were taken to an army camp for training in drone warfare techniques, medical evacuation procedures and basic combat skills using heavy weapons.
https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-bangladesh-migrant-workers-d7df6a8b2ff60b46ce8e3fa3aafaf60e