"Assalamu Alaikum, I am on my way to the war. It's not a problem. My friend, my crazy friend, my crazy friend… father, mother, pray for me. All is with me, don't worry."
This was the last message—sent as a video—that Habibullah Bhuiyan recorded for his family from somewhere in Russia.
Habibullah's story, at least in the beginning, would not be unfamiliar to many across Bangladesh.
For a country facing one of the highest unemployment rates in recent times – 4.63% in the October–December quarter of the current fiscal year according to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) – the lure of a better life abroad has been a constant.
For Habibullah too, it began with a dream: to go abroad and change the fate of his family -- a dream born of the desire for a better life.
His plan was to go to Europe to fulfil that immigrant dream.
But just days after recording the video, he was killed by Ukrainian soldiers.
The news of his death was later conveyed to his family by fellow fighters who had joined Russia's war effort.
While Habibullah may have longed for comfort and security, war was never part of what he bargained for.
Where it began
To better understand Habibullah's journey and his eventual fate, Stream travelled to his home in Narsingdi.
Twenty minutes from the town, in Ghasirdia village under Shibpur Police Station, Habibullah, 20, lived with his mother, Mansura Begum, and father, Abu Siddique Bhuiyan.
With what little the family had saved, and more borrowed on loan, they sought to fulfil their son's wish to go to Italy at a cost of more than Tk30 lakh.
But this wish would shatter the family.
Speaking to Stream, Abu Siddique Bhuiyan clarified that financial hardship was not the main reason they sent Habibullah abroad.
"He was frustrated. We didn't want him to be disappointed. I borrowed money, took loans, managed funds in so many different ways.
"Never has my family ever had to take out such a loan, but I did it for my boy. I gave him the money to go abroad."
But the money was only one part of the problem. Snags appeared even when dealing with the middleman.
Habibullah's mother, Mansura Begum, recalled the agonising wait: "The middleman, Faruk Mridha, kept telling us that the work permit was coming. In this way, almost a year was wasted."
When the wait ended, didn't the family object to Habibullah going to a war zone?
That's when another twist emerged.
From Narsingdi to Russia
Habibullah's original plan was to travel to Italy. It's a well-worn path for many aspiring migrants who often end up in detention centres there.
But more often than not, they are re-routed to conflict zones—where human bodies are priced higher.
"After the visa was issued, the middleman said he would take Habibullah to Saudi Arabia first for Umrah. He allegedly arranged the required visa for the pilgrimage, but Habibullah ended up in Russia," Mansura said.
It was later learnt that human traffickers had sold Habibullah to the Russian army for around Tk 20-30 lakh.
At the Russian airport, immigration officials were met by one Sultan Dalal, who informed them that Habibullah and the others were being enlisted in the Russian military, family members of the victim said.
"After that, he was taken to the military camp for training," Mansura Begum added.
Before this, Habibullah had never received formal military training. Nor did he know he would be forced to enlist.
"Every day, Habibullah would help carry wounded fighters—some without a hand, a leg, or shot through the stomach. Seeing all this, he became terrified. He completely stopped eating," Mansura recalled.
When she asked him why, Habibullah only said he could not stomach food after what he had witnessed.
Still, he tried not to burden his family with his fears.
"Don't worry about me, mother, don't worry about me," he would reassure his parents.
Abu Siddique remembered his son as he was.
"He would not speak with his head raised or turned. It breaks my heart to recall that."
Dhaka Stream tried to verify the whereabouts of Sultan Dalal, the name repeatedly mentioned by Mansura.
According to locals, Dalal is a trafficker based in India. He had allegedly lured large numbers of young men from India, Bangladesh, and nearby countries with the promise of a better life—only to sell them to the Russian army for the war in Ukraine.
Just a few miles from Habibullah's village, in Brahmandi, a similar story unfolds.
'Only God knows if he's dead or alive'
Lili Begum has been waiting to hear from her son, Badiuzzaman, for about five months.
With his four brothers' futures in mind, Badiuzzaman had set out for Europe. The costly trip forced the family to sell what farmland they had.
"Many people are going to Italy. My son also hoped to do so. If he could earn, he could support his brothers, his children, and his mother."
It wasn't an easy decision, but one the family felt they had to make.
"You can't imagine what we had to give up to send Badiuzzaman for a better life. Lenders took away drums of rice and baskets of paddy from our house. We sold and mortgaged what we could," she said.
The last she heard, Badiuzzaman was in Russia, telling her his condition was dire.
Speaking to Stream, his brother Mehedi Hasan said the broker had cheated them.
Back home, Badiuzzaman's 13-year-old daughter still waits for her father's return.
"I have not been able to talk to my father for months. We last spoke on 10 March. He told me he was going to war and asked us to stay well and pray for him," she said.
In both the trafficking instances – of Habibullah and Badiuzzaman – cases had been filed leading to the arrest of broker Faruk Mridha.
Two audio clips obtained by Dhaka Stream puts both Faruk and Sultan in the limelight.
In one of the clips sent by Faruk, he is heard telling Badiuzzaman's brother Mehedi Hasan, "They'll be provided facilities as a common Russian soldier, got it? If so, I think that'll be something positive. If they refuse to stay then we will send them back after the winter."
He also cites an example of an elderly man who left the war but was now desperate to come back because the salary and sustenance was good.
In another clip, Sultan is heard telling Mehedi not to bother him regarding his brother or Habibullah.
Alleging that Badiuzzaman had given his travel card to Habibullah, he said, "Therefore brother, please don't call me anymore. Instead call Habibullah, communicate with him, he'll send you the money, and whatever is paid or unpaid, deal with Habibullah."
This clip, however, could not be independently verified.
Numbers of Bangladeshis still murky
According to a report from British military intelligence, between April 2023 and May 2024, about 1,500 foreign nationals fought on behalf of Russia—half of them from East and South Asia. Among the South Asians trafficked into the Russia-Ukraine war, the largest number were Indian nationals, followed by Bangladeshis.
In April, the Bangladesh embassy in Moscow said around a dozen families have contacted them seeking to bring back their sons they allege were duped into joining the Russian army.
Unofficially, the numbers are feared to be much higher – reaching the 100s.
Another spike came soon after 2 July when Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree allowing foreigners to serve in the Russian army not only during a state of emergency or martial law, but also during mobilization.
In May this year, Ukrainian and international media reported that traffickers were selling people to Russian military officers for between $450 and $1,250.
Neither Russia nor Ukraine will say how many foreigners are serving in their militaries or how many they are holding as prisoners of war.
Meanwhile, like the families of Habibullah and Badiuzzaman in Narsingdi, at least 20 others are still waiting for loved ones who set off for Europe but ended up in Russia.
They now await reunion, not prosperity.
The Bangladeshi government says it is negotiating with Russia to bring home the men believed to still be there.
Speaking to the media earlier, Touhid Hossain, Bangladesh's Foreign Affairs adviser, said: "Those who are going to the Ukraine war are not doing it willingly. We can say they are pressured into it by travel brokers. Either they are offered something lucrative, or, once abroad, they are lured with offers of money. It's an illegal scheme, and they travel there illegally as well. We are trying to crack down on it, but it's a difficult task. Even with UN support, we are failing in our attempts to combat illegal migration."
Comments