Washington, DC:
To save US taxpayers money, the Donald Trump administration’s cost-cutting team (Government Efficiency (DOGE)) has cancelled numerous overseas projects, including projects in Bangladesh that raised several brows . The billionaire Elon Musk-led division has said it has cancelled $29 million in funds aimed at “enhancing Bangladesh’s political landscape.”
Doge said “US$29 million from strengthening the political landscape of Bangladesh” has been suspended and Doge has stopped on X’s list of cancelled US funding.
The US taxpayer dollars were to be spent on the next item. All of these have been cancelled.
– $10 million for “Mozambique voluntary medical male circumcision”
– $9.7 million to develop “Cohort of Cambodia youth with Enterprise-Driven Skills” by Berkeley, California
– “$2.3 million to strengthen…– February 15, 2025, Government Efficiency Bureau (@Doge)
This comes days after President Trump denied allegations of US involvement in Bangladesh’s change of government last year, when former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina banished following a nationwide student-led protest.
Enhancement of Bangladesh’s political landscape project
The strengthening of the Bangladesh Programme (SPL), funded by the US Organization for International Development (USAID) and the Bureau of International Development, will build political parties’ capacity and strengthen relationships between political parties and members. He worked while reducing political violence. According to Democracy International (DI).
According to DI, the programme will develop the skills needed to become effective leaders, defend inclusive policies, and engage political activists and citizens constructively to foster each other’s needs to be effective leaders. I supported it.
Additionally, the SPL faced the challenges of political violence by attracting political parties, grassroots activists and university students, monitoring cases of violence and promoting peaceful alternatives.
Trump on our involvement in the change of government in Bangadesh
After a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday, US President Donald Trump rejected US involvement in Bangladesh’s political crisis, saying the issue has been dealt with for a long time by India.
When a reporter called for President Trump’s views, when former President Joe Biden’s democratic government changed power in Bangladesh and set up Muhammad Yunus as chief advisor, Republicans said, “in our deep states.” has no role.
Then pointing to Prime Minister Modi, he added, “I will leave Bangladesh to the Prime Minister.”
Republicans did not directly address the questions, but speculation shows that the new Trump administration may not be involved in Bangladesh.
India-Bangladesh relations
India-Bangladesh relations were nosed after fleeing Dhaka in August in the face of massive anti-government protests.
The interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, who returned from the US to work as a caretaker in Bangladesh, has continued to draw sharp criticism that it is not enough to stop attacks on minorities by radical Muslims. Masu.
Bangladeshi AS relationship
Meanwhile, Bangladesh’s chief advisor Professor Mohammed Yunus said on Friday that he discussed Tesla CEO Elon Musk about a potential collaboration to launch Starlink Satellite Internet Services in Bangladesh.
Yunus held an extensive video discussion with Musk on Thursday to make further progress in introducing Starlink Satellite to enhance Bangladesh’s internet services.
Professor Yunus also extended the invitation to masks to visit Bangladesh in search of the possibility of the launch of Starlink Service, highlighting the importance of this initiative that masks have responded proactively.
“I’m looking forward to that,” Musk said.
Other Biden-era funding was cut by Doge
In the X post, we listed the number of US taxpayers spending that has been cancelled with the official Doge handle. This includes $22 million in funding aimed at “voting for voters in India,” and $39 million in “fiscal federalism” and “biodiversity conservation.” In Nepal.
This is part of Doge’s continued efforts to outline significant changes in government spending over the past few weeks.
About Nepal’s “Fiscal Federalism” Program
With the promulgation of the 2015 Constitution, Nepal embarked on a journey of federalism, establishing three tiers of government in 2017, one federal, seven states and 753 local levels.
The fiscal federalist program is based on the norm that “the cost of a single penny will not be collected without Congressional consent.”
According to the International Warning Report, in order to comply with this code, Nepal’s constitution has clear provisions regarding the financial procedures of federal, state and local governments.
About Doge
The efforts by what the Donald Trump administration calls Doge are aimed at significantly reducing government costs. The Musk division has swept federal agencies over the last few weeks looking for past spending cuts as part of Trump’s goal of overhauling and reducing the US government.
