A young Bangladeshi man named Yasin Sheikh has been killed in a missile strike in war-torn Ukraine while serving as a contract soldier in the Russian army.
The 27-year-old hailed from the village of Morichali in Douhakhala union, Gauripur upazila of Mymensingh district.
On Tuesday (A April) afternoon, Yasin’s family was informed of his death by his close friend and fellow combatant, Mehedi. He had reportedly died in combat on 27 March.
Yasin was a student of Government Bangabandhu College in Pallabi, Dhaka, enrolled in the 2022–23 degree programme.
Driven by ambition and financial strain, he moved to Russia after learning the language at a private institute in Dhaka.
Initially, he secured a job at a company with help from a friend, but how he ended up joining the Russian army remains unclear to his family.
According to his mother, Firoza Khatun, Yasin had aspired to fulfil his late father's dream of seeing him in uniform. “His father wanted him to be a soldier,” she said, her voice heavy with grief. “He fulfilled that dream, but only for it to end eleven thousand kilometres away in a missile attack.”
Firoza added that Yasin's father had died nine years ago, leaving her to raise their son under severe financial constraints. “We sent him abroad with borrowed money, hoping he would bring prosperity to the family. Now everything is lost. All we want is to bring his body home.”
The tragic news has plunged the entire village into mourning. Gauripur Upazila Nirbahi Officer Sajjadul Hasan confirmed that the Assistant Commissioner (Land) has already visited the grieving family.
He added that the matter has been reported to the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment and other relevant government authorities. Legal procedures are underway to facilitate the return of Yasin’s body.
