Bangladeshi migrant tricked into Russian army service pleads for rescue from Ukrainian prison
Photo Collected
The family of 38-year-old Shahriar Suman, a Bangladeshi migrant worker currently held in a Ukrainian detention center, has issued a desperate plea for government intervention to secure his repatriation. Suman, a former garment industry professional from Mymensingh, was lured into a human trafficking scheme that ultimately forced him into the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war against his will.
Suman’s parents, Wazed Ali and Josnara Begum, sold their land and incurred significant debt to fund his journey to Russia in June 2023. Seeking to lift his family out of poverty, Suman traveled on a valid work permit to take a job in construction. However, after the company ceased operations six months later, he was approached by labor brokers who promised to facilitate his entry into Italy. Instead, the brokers coerced him into signing documents he could not read, effectively enlisting him in the Russian military.
According to family members, Suman was given only three days of cursory military training before being deployed to the front lines. Faced with harsh conditions and lack of provisions, he and a fellow Bangladeshi national, Kamrul Hassan, attempted to flee the conflict zone. They were captured by Ukrainian forces upon crossing the border and have remained imprisoned since.
The family’s ordeal began in June when they received reports—later proven false—that Suman had been killed in a drone strike. The heartbreak turned to hope only recently when a video surfaced from a Ukrainian prison in which Suman describes his plight and pleads for the Bangladesh government to facilitate his rescue. The harrowing situation is underscored by the circumstances at home: Suman’s nine-month-old son, Irfan, has never met his father, and his wife, Khaleda Akter, continues to wait for his return.
While the family has filed formal petitions with the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment and the Wage Earners’ Welfare Board, they report having received no official assurances of assistance thus far. Suman’s brother-in-law, Anwar Hussain, emphasized the urgency of the situation, noting that diplomatic efforts are critical as there is a risk that Suman could be returned to Russian custody through a prisoner exchange.
Trishal Upazila Executive Officer Arafat Siddiqui confirmed that authorities have been notified and stated that necessary steps would be taken to address the matter. As the family awaits action, their sole objective remains the safe return of the man who left home to build a future, only to be trapped by deception and caught in the crossfire of a foreign conflict.
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