The US government has decided to halt all aid to Muhammad Yunus-led Bangladesh, days after President Donald Trump took charge of the country.
The US aid agency has directed all the implementing partners in Bangladesh to immediately stop, cease, and suspend any work of the USAID-funded projects, reported Bangladeshi news outlet The Daily Star.
The move, however, excludes aid to Rohingya community members who are sheltered in Bangladesh.
“This letter serves as a directive to all USAID/Bangladesh Implementing Partners to immediately stop, cease, and/or suspend any work performed under your respective USAID/Bangladesh contract, task order, grant, cooperative agreement, or other acquisition or assistance instrument,” reads a letter issued by Richard B Aaron, director for the Office of Acquisition & Assistance of USAID as quoted by the newspaper.
The US government has frozen nearly all foreign assistance across the globe.
After coming to power, Trump issued an executive order to put on hold aids for 90 days.
Consistent with President Trump’s executive order on reevaluating and realigning United States foreign aid, US Secretary of State Rubio has paused all US foreign assistance funded by or through the State Department and US Agency for International Development (USAID) for review.
“President Trump stated clearly that the United States is no longer going to blindly dole out money with no return for the American people. Reviewing and realigning foreign assistance on behalf of hardworking taxpayers is not just the right thing to do, it is a moral imperative. The Secretary is proud to protect America’s investment with a deliberate and judicious review of how we spend foreign assistance dollars overseas,” US State Department said.
In a public statement, Rubio earlier said: “Every dollar we spend, every programme we fund, and every policy we pursue must be justified with the answer to three simple questions: Does it make America safer? Does it make America stronger? Does it make America more prosperous?”
