Photo: Collected
US President Donald Trump has said the $29 million USAID fund granted to Bangladesh for "strengthening the political landscape" went to a firm that nobody had ever heard of. "Only two people were working in that firm," he said while addressing the Governors Working Session at the White House in Washington, DC yesterday (21 February).
"[They] got $29 million. They got a cheque. Can you imagine you have a little firm, you get $10,000 here, $10,000 there. Then we get $29 million from the United States government ... that two people working in that firm," Trump said during his speech.
"Two people ... I think they are very happy. They are very rich. They will be on the cover of a good business magazine pretty soon," the US president added. During his speech, Trump also said that "$21 million going to my friend Prime Minister Narendra Modi and India for voter turnout."
"We are giving $21 million for voter turnout in India. What about us? I want voter turnout too," he added. On 16 February, the US president's cost-cutting team, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), posted on X listing the names of 11 countries and specific names of some of the US-funded overseas projects that had been cancelled.
The list included a $29 million project for "strengthening political landscape" in Bangladesh and another for "voter turnout" in India. "US taxpayer dollars were going to be spent on the following items, all of which have been cancelled," read the DOGE post.
According to the Democracy International website, the Strengthening Political Landscape in Bangladesh program (SPL), funded by USAID and DFID, works to build political party capacity and strengthen relationships between parties and constituents while reducing political violence. It says the duration of the project was from 2017 to 2024.
Messenger/JRTarek
