The decision of US President Donald Trump’s regarding the suspending the foreign aid may affect Bangladesh adversely.
He, just on his second sworn-in day, suspended US aid to foreign countries for 90 days. According to the concerned persons in development cooperation sector, this decision of US President will lead to have negative impact on the countries of the world including Bangladesh. Uncertainty may arise in the future of various countries including Bangladesh that were funded by the US.
There may also be extreme uncertainty about the future of various US funded projects in Bangladesh.
The website of the US international agency USAID states that the US has maintained a strong friendship with Bangladesh since its independence. The United States recognizes Bangladesh as a strategic partner in South Asia. The US partnership with Bangladesh is also determined by common interests.
According to USAID, it’s program in Bangladesh is the largest in Asia.
This program includes the world's most important food security and health programs, as well as strategically important democracy and good governance, basic education, and environmental issues.
The United States is overseeing a large-scale humanitarian assistance program in Bangladesh to address the Rohingya crisis. USAID has been a long-standing partner in Bangladesh's progress towards becoming an upper-middle-income country by 2031.
A new project for those affected by the Rohingya crisis was officially inaugurated in Dhaka on Monday, hours before US President Donald Trump was sworn-in in Washington.
The United States is providing the largest amount of financial assistance to address the Rohingya crisis. The United States has provided more than $250 million in assistance since August 2017. Of this, the amount of assistance for the Rohingya and local communities in Bangladesh is $2.1 billion.
In addition to USAID, the United States provides assistance to Bangladesh through the Departments of State, Agriculture, Justice, Energy, and the Federal Trade Commission. In 2023, the United States provided $490 million (about 6,000 crore taka) in assistance to Bangladesh.
The amount of assistance for 2024 is also almost the same.
According to the executive order published on the website of the White House, the Office of the President of the United States is now going to reevaluate and implement its foreign aid. The executive order states that the United States' foreign aid-supported industries and bureaucracy are not consistent with American interests and, in many cases, are contrary to American values and they disrupt world peace.
Regarding the policy, Trump's executive order states that the United States will no longer provide any assistance abroad that is inconsistent with the foreign policy of the President of the United States. US development assistance abroad will be suspended for 90 days to assess the effectiveness and consistency of the United States' current foreign aid programs.
According to Trump's executive order, the US President's directive to suspend US development assistance abroad for 90 days is mandatory for all relevant agencies to be implemented immediately. The heads of departments and agencies responsible for reviewing each foreign assistance program will decide on the next steps in accordance with the instructions of the Secretary of State, by consulting with the director of the Office of Budget and Management. After the review, the US Secretary of State will decide on the continuation, modification, and termination of foreign assistance programs.
AKM Jasim Uddin, the director of the Association of Development Agencies Bangladesh (ADAB), an organization of development aid NGOs, told The Kaler Kantho, "Various US agencies, including USAID, are large donor organizations. We need to understand a little more about which areas President Trump's decision to stop cooperation will apply."
Bangladesh is keeping a close eye on President Trump's policies and its implementation. According to the sources, the US is withdrawing from the World Health Organization (WHO) according to their decision on the suspension of foreign assistance. The US had been providing large amounts of money to the WHO. There is a risk that the organization will be weakened if the country leaves the WHO. This will have an impact on Bangladesh and the whole world.
Meanwhile, the US State Department released a statement by Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday evening. It said that President Trump has given clear instructions to prioritize national interests in US foreign policy. The US Secretary of State said, ‘We must answer three simple questions for every dollar spent, every fund, and every policy we pursue. These are—Does it (aid, policy) make the United States safer? Does it make the United States stronger? Does it make the United States more prosperous?’
Marco Rubio said, “We will build a more innovative, agile, and focused State Department to advance our national interests. For this, we will require shifting some priorities, de-emphasizing some issues, and eliminating some practices.”
Source: The Daily Kaler Kantho
Bd-pratidin English/Lutful Hoque
