Four friends from Patgram in Lalmonirhat set out for Russia after borrowing heavily in hope of earning enough to improve their families’ financial conditions. Instead, they have reportedly ended up in an undisclosed military camp in Russia.
Allegations have emerged that a recruiting agency named RS International, based in Uttara, Dhaka, sold them to a Russian “mercenary force” after promising jobs in garment factories and IT firms.
The four young men are Nazmul Alam (21) of Tepurgari, Mehedi Hasan (21), Al Amin (20) of Sardarpara, and Abdullah Al Mamun (22). In a video recently circulated on social media, Abdullah Al Mamun claimed that although they had been promised jobs at a drone manufacturing facility, they were instead being prepared for deployment to a war zone after completing 15 days of training.
According to family members, several local individuals collected Tk 900,000 from each of the four men by promising lucrative jobs in Russia. Through RS International, they were sent to Moscow via Bahrain on 8 May. Upon arrival, their passports, visas, and mobile phones were allegedly confiscated. They later managed to contact their families using someone else’s phone and informed them of their situation.
Petitions, press conference, and lawsuits
On 23 May, Liyad Ali, the elder brother of Nazmul Alam, submitted an application to the Director General of the Wage Earners’ Welfare Board and the Secretary of the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment.
Earlier, on 22 May, he had also appealed to the Director General of the Consular and Welfare Wing of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to facilitate the return of the four young men.
A press conference was held at the Patgram Upazila Press Club on 26 May. There, Nazmul’s sister, Irene Akhter, alleged that Md Yunus Ali, president of the Patgram Upazila Youth Division of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, Md Sohel Rana, amir of its pourasava wing, and an employee named Mahin had collected a total of Tk 3.6 million from the four youths on the promise of overseas employment. She alleged that after taking them to Russia, they confiscated their documents and sold them to the military.
Attempts to contact Yunus Ali and Mahin for comment were unsuccessful, as their mobile phones were switched off. Following the incident, Jamaat relieved them of their organisational responsibilities on 20 May.
Later, in a statement signed on 29 May by Md Monowar Hossain, secretary of the party’s Patgram Upazila branch, Jamaat said that if any member of the organisation was involved in the incident, it would be their personal responsibility and not that of the party.
Nazmul Haque, Officer-in-Charge of Patgram Police Station, said that four separate cases had been filed by the victims’ families and are currently under investigation. Police sources said Yunus Ali, Sohel Rana, and Mahin have been named as accused in the cases.
Families left destitute, pleading for their return
Members of the four families say they mortgaged land, took out loans, and spent their savings to arrange the money needed for sending the men overseas for employment.
Afzal Hossain, father of Al Amin, said he had raised Tk 900,000 by mortgaging farmland and borrowing money. Dipti Akter, wife of Mamun, said her husband had gone abroad hoping to secure a better future, but now the family fears for his life. The families of Nazmul and Mehedi have suffered similar financial losses and are living in uncertainty.
Nazmul’s brother Liyad Ali said they have not yet received any information regarding the return of the four men. However, he has heard that the government has cancelled the licence of the recruiting agency after the complaints were filed.
Local Member of Parliament Barrister Hasan Rajib Pradhan told Prothom Alo, “I am treating the matter with the utmost importance. I have personally contacted the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare, and strong diplomatic efforts are also being pursued through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.”
‘Diplomatic channels have been activated’
According to the non-government organisation Refugee and Migratory Movements Research Unit (RMMRU), Russia has emerged as an important new labour market for Bangladesh. A total of 4,663 Bangladeshis went to Russia last year, compared with 993 in 2024. Taking advantage of promises of high salaries and even citizenship, an unscrupulous network has become active in recruiting workers.
Tasneem Siddiqui, Acting Executive Director of RMMRU, said, “We had brought the matter to the attention of the interim government. We informed the Ministry of Information that a network was sending Bangladeshi youths to participate in the Russia–Ukraine war, but no major initiative was taken by the government.”
According to RMMRU, in addition to the four youths from Patgram, another 30 young men from different districts were sent to Russia before Eid and are currently being held there.
On 7 June, the Dhaka office of RS International in Sector 15 of Uttara was found closed. Building security guard Abdul Awal said visitor traffic had begun declining in early May, and the office has remained locked since the Eid holidays.
In a press release, the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare said that the licences of three recruiting agencies—RS International, Jabal-e-Noor, and TS Overseas Limited—had been revoked and their security deposits confiscated over allegations that they fraudulently sent 30 young men to Russia and exposed them to life-threatening risks.
Minister for Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Ariful Haque Chowdhury told Prothom Alo, “Endangering the lives of citizens in this manner is a heinous crime. No network or group involved in such activities will be spared.”
He added that diplomatic channels have already been activated to ensure the swift and safe return of the 30 Bangladeshis who were sent abroad through fraudulent means.