The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) suspended all assistance programmes in Bangladesh.
In a letter sent to all its implementing partners in Bangladesh, the US donor agency USAID has directed to immediately stop, cease and suspend any work in Bangladesh under contracts, work orders, grants, cooperative agreements, or other acquisition or assistance instruments.
Earlier on Friday, the United States froze virtually all foreign aid, making exceptions only for emergency food, and military funding for Israel and Egypt. The action comes as a part of the Reevaluation and Realignment of United States Foreign Aid, in consistency with the foreign policy of President Donald Trump.
This sudden decision has raised significant concerns among various project stakeholders, including US-funded non-governmental organizations operating in Bangladesh.
The potential implications of the order will be substantial for Bangladesh as the USAID program in Bangladesh is the largest in Asia, with some of the world’s most important food security and health programs, along with strategically important democracy and governance, basic education, and environment activities.
USAID also oversees a large humanitarian assistance portfolio in Bangladesh in response to the Rohingya crisis.
