Sun Feb 16 09:18:35 UTC 2025: ## Trump Administration Axes Millions in Overseas Funding, Including Bangladesh Political Program

**Washington D.C.** – The Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), headed by Elon Musk, has announced the cancellation of $29 million in US funding earmarked for “strengthening the political landscape” in Bangladesh. The decision, part of a wider cost-cutting initiative, sparked immediate controversy.

The cancellation was revealed in a series of posts on X, also detailing the termination of other international projects, including $10 million for voluntary male circumcision in Mozambique and $9.7 million for a Cambodian youth development program at UC Berkeley. The total cuts announced exceed $100 million.

The Bangladesh program, previously funded by USAID and the UK’s former Department for International Development, aimed to enhance political party capacity, improve party-constituent relations, and reduce political violence. It supported political activists and citizens in developing leadership skills and engaging in constructive conflict resolution.

This move follows President Trump’s recent denial of US involvement in the ousting of Bangladesh’s former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina last year, a claim he attributed to India’s long-standing involvement in the region. Trump dismissed allegations of a US-led regime change, stating the matter was “handled by India for a long time.” The current interim government, led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, faces criticism for its handling of attacks on religious minorities.

Meanwhile, Yunus has been engaged in discussions with Elon Musk about potentially launching Starlink satellite internet service in Bangladesh, a project seemingly unrelated to the current political turmoil.

The DOGE’s cost-cutting measures also include the cancellation of $22 million for voter turnout initiatives in India and $39 million for fiscal federalism and biodiversity conservation in Nepal. These actions represent the administration’s broader effort to significantly reduce government spending.

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