"Are you Akram's mother? How do I tell you that Akram is no more…?"

Mobina Begum, mother of Akram Hossain, a migrant worker who was forcefully made to fight for Russia by human traffickers in its war against Ukraine, got a call from his fellow Bangladeshi fighter from Kishoreganj on Thursday with the news of his death.

Akram was killed in a drone attack on April 14, the Bangla New Year.

Nine months ago, a 25-year-old man Akram Hossain, of Hosenpur village in Brahmanbaria's Ashuganj, set out for Russia to work as a welder with the hopes of changing his family's fate.

He has two parents, two brothers and two sisters back home.

Originally from Brahmanbaria, Akram's father, uncles, and grandfather lived in the Tegharia area in Bajitpur of Kishoreganj for 40 years.

Akram studied till Class 9 at Haji Abdul Bari High School in Kishoreganj. He then learned to work as a welder at a training centre in Amtali in Narsingdi's Palash upazila.

As the eldest sibling, he dreamed of lifting his family out of poverty. His father was a day labour. The family borrowed around Tk 9 lakh to send him abroad.

His father Morshed Mia said, "Around nine months ago, we managed to send Akram to Russia by borrowing money from relatives. He was promised a job at a welding factory, for which Tk 9 lakh was paid to middlemen."

At first, Akram worked at a Chinese company in Russia for six months as a welder. The company stopped paying him around two and a half months ago.

Two months ago, the same brokers who brought Akram and other Bangladeshis to Russia forced them to join the military as "contract fighters".

After 15 days of basic training, Akram was sent to the warfront in Ukraine.

His uncle Shahin Alam said his family had regular contact with Akram even after he was enlisted for war.

The mother and father said they spoke to Akram for the last time on April 13.

Mobina Begum said, "He [Akram] spoke to us on the phone on Sunday for the last time. He said he had just returned from duty and would call again after a nap. But he never did," she sobbed before fainting.

His untimely death has shattered not only his life but also the dreams of his family.

The family has appealed to the government for assistance in repatriating his body and securing compensation.

Ashuganj Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Raffey Mohammad Chhara told journalists, "The Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare was contacted immediately after we got to know about the matter. The ministry has asked to contact them with necessary documents."