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| Mohammad Akram Hossain |
A young Bangladeshi man from Ashuganj upazila of Brahmanbaria has died while fighting in the Russia-Ukraine war after reportedly being lured by human traffickers with false promises of a lucrative job. The deceased, Mohammad Akram Hossain (25), had joined the Russian military as a contract soldier just months before his death.
According to family sources, Akram, a resident of Hosenpur village in Lalpur union, traveled to Russia nearly 11 months ago with dreams of supporting his family financially. Trained as a welder, he initially worked for eight months at a private company in Russia. However, in a desperate bid for better pay, he fell into the trap of middlemen who convinced him to sign up as a contract fighter for the Russian army.
Akram began participating in the ongoing war against Ukraine about two and a half months ago. He even posted photos in military uniform on social media, confirming his involvement in the frontlines. But the dream he chased ended in tragedy—he was killed in a recent missile strike.
“He said he had no way back.”
Akram's father, Morshed Mia, shared that his son had grown frustrated over poor wages and was tempted by the traffickers’ promises of higher income through the military contract. "We begged him not to go to the battlefield, but he said he had no choice and couldn’t return anymore," said Morshed with tears in his eyes.
His mother, Mobina Begum, added that they had regular communication with Akram during his time at war. But on April 13, all contact was lost. On April 18, a fellow soldier informed the family by phone that Akram had been killed in a missile attack in Ukraine.
Family seeks government support.
The grieving family is now appealing to the Bangladesh government and relevant authorities to help bring Akram’s body back home for burial.
Local residents have also expressed deep sorrow over the incident and urged stricter action against the traffickers who mislead young men with false promises of overseas jobs.