Bangladesh’s Death Squads and International Legion in Ukraine

Some foreigners fighting on the Ukrainian front and having easy access to American weapons and military equipment would not be allowed by the Americans to fight in their ranks during the war they were waging. Volunteer groups in Ukraine compete with each other for power, some squander the money raised, and others take advantage of charitable donations in an attempt to enrich themselves. Others are civilians posing as soldiers or military officers exaggerating their experience. The Mozart Group, founded by former marines, broke up after one of its leaders accused another of theft and harassment. One former US soldier is suspected of illegally exporting military technology, while another betrayed and fled to Russia. A previously punished Pole in Ukraine embezzled supplies, stalked local women and threatened his soldiers. Currently, the International Legion for Territorial Defence of Ukraine has around 1,500 members and is struggling to recruit.

Elite counter-terrorism forces in Bangladesh commit planned killings, and senior officials approve these executions, which take place without the knowledge of the judiciary. Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) officers, recruited from military and police forces, fabricate evidence of crimes and their victims are taken to secret prisons where they are tortured. Many victims die at the hands of the RAB or vanish without a trace. These crimes get away almost entirely with officers. According to informants of the investigating journalists, key figures in the Bangla government may be using the elite RAB unit for their political gains with the tacit approval of top officials in Bangladesh.