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The Mymensingh youth’s family learns of his death days after Eid-ul-Fitr
Published : 04 Apr 2025, 12:36 AM
A young man from Gouripur Upazila in Mymensingh has reportedly been killed by a missile strike while serving as a contract soldier in the Russian army in Ukraine, according to his family.
Upon learning of the incident, local administration officials visited the grieving family to offer condolences.
The dead, Yasin Sheikh, was first informed dead by his friend Mehedi Hasan, who is also in Russia, the family said.
Although he was killed on Mar 27, the family only learnt about it a day after Eid-ul-Fitr.
Yasin’s mother and elder brother, businessman Ruhul Amin, live in Morichali village in Douhakhola Union.
His father, Sattar Mia, passed away on Mar 1, 2016.
Among his four siblings, two had already died before him.
The news of his death has left the family and villagers devastated, with many urging the government to bring back his body.
Following the reports, Gouripur Upazila Assistant Commissioner (Land) Sunanda Sarker Proma visited Yasin’s home to check on the family.
Gouripur Upazila Executive Officer Sajjadul Hasan said, “We will inform the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment and other relevant authorities. All necessary legal measures will be taken.”
Earlier this year, Humayun Kabir, a young man from Hulhulia village in Natore’s Singra Upazila was killed in Ukraine in February after being lured to Russia by human traffickers.
His brother-in-law Md Rahmat Ali remains stranded in the war zone, pleading with his family to help him return home.
Jafar Ali from Sardarpara in Jashore’s Chanchra has also alleged that traffickers sold him to the Russian military.
He is now fighting in Ukraine and has expressed his desire to return home.
Several more Bangladeshis are reportedly trapped in the conflict after being sent to Russia by traffickers.
Their families have already alerted the local administration, which has forwarded the issue to the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment.
The authorities in Dhaka have also notified Bangladesh’s Labour Welfare Wing in Russia.
Amid ongoing discussions over the trafficking of Bangladeshis into Russia’s war effort, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) arrested a woman named Fabia Zerin Tamanna on Feb 6 this year from Dhaka’s airport area while she was attempting to flee to Nepal.
Now, Yasin’s family has also learnt of his tragic fate on the battlefield.
Yasin’s family members have told journalists that he travelled to Russia in September 2024 after securing a job with a company there.
Three months later, he enlisted as a contract soldier in the Russian military.
His cousin Rafiqul Islam Robi said: “Before going to Russia, Yasin learnt the Russian language at an institute in Dhaka. Later, with the help of a friend, he secured a good job at a company in Russia. Everything was going well until he joined the Russian military—then everything changed.”
He also claimed, “When Yasin was about to enlist, agents from the agency that sent him to Russia took his mother and elder brother to Dhaka in a car and had them sign a no-objection certificate. On Mar 26, Yasin spoke to his mother for the last time. He had promised to send Tk 1 million in a few days. But now, we have received news of his death.”
“We have no information about the condition of his body or whether it can be brought back home. His mother is inconsolable, clutching his photograph and pleading with his elder brother to do something,” said Robi.
Yasin’s family and friends said he had always dreamed of joining the army, even from a young age.
Though he could not enlist in Bangladesh, he was delighted to serve in the Russian military.
He regularly posted videos on Facebook about his life in Russia and his time in the army.
His account features photos and videos of him fighting in Ukraine as a Russian soldier.
On Mar 1, Yasin uploaded his last video, in which he spoke about his father’s death anniversary, his journey to Russia, joining the military, and fulfilling his dream.
In the video, Yasin explained that he had applied for a job at a Chinese company in Russia in January 2024.
He received his offer letter in September and then moved to Russia.
His workplace was about 11,000km from Moscow.
After working at the company for three months, he applied online and enlisted as a contract soldier in the Russian military.
Yasin also claimed that he had been involved with the student wing of the BNP while in Bangladesh and had participated in anti-government protests against the Awami League.
In the video, he said that his involvement in anti-government movements had given him the courage to join the war in Ukraine.
He added that he had no regrets about the possibility of dying in battle.
Mymensingh District Youth Union General Secretary Zahurul Amin Rubel, who is from Douhakhola Union, said he had also heard about the incident and confirmed that locals were aware of Yasin’s death.
