The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the police has arrested a woman on charges of human trafficking to Russia from Bangladesh.
She was apprehended at Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport. According to the CID, the woman is a member of a human trafficking ring.
This ring trafficked 10 Bangladeshis to Russia and sold them to a Sultan.
Special Police Superintendent Jasim Uddin Khan of the CID's media wing told Prothom Alo that the woman, named Fabihah Jerin, was arrested on Wednesday night just before she attempted to flee to Nepal from the airport.
A press release sent on Thursday afternoon mentioned that Tamanna, a partner at a company named Dream Home Travels and Tours Limited, is also a member of the trafficking ring. This ring trafficked 10 individuals to Russia under a false promise of jobs with monthly salaries of Tk 200,000 to Tk 2,50,000.
The group first sent these 10 people to Saudi Arabia on Umrah visa. After completing their Umrah pilgrimage, they were taken to Russia and sold to a Sultan. The Sultan then handed them over as slaves to Russian soldiers. Instead of fulfilling the promised jobs, they were subjected to military training and forced to fight in the war against Ukraine.
The press release also mentioned that one of the victims, Humayun Kabir from Singra, Natore, was killed in the war, and another, Aminul from Keraniganj, Dhaka, was severely injured.
Among the trafficked individuals, Akram Hossain, a resident of Polash, Narsingdi, escaped from the training camp and, with his own arrangements, returned to Bangladesh on 26 January. He then contacted the families of the other victims. On Tuesday, Aminul's wife, Jhuma Akhter, filed a case at Banani police station in the capital.
Following the investigation into this case, Tamanna was arrested at Shahjalal International Airport. The CID has learned that Tamanna has confessed to her involvement. Her brother, Tuhin, who is currently in Russia, allegedly encouraged people to join the war.
The CID further reported that another group of the 10 trafficked individuals is currently in Saudi Arabia. Upon realizing they would be forced into the war, they refused to go to Russia. As a result, their passports were confiscated. Without their passports, they cannot work in Saudi Arabia or return to their home country. The CID is working to bring them back to Bangladesh.