Abu Jakir :
US President Donald Trump has criticised the funding provided by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to both Bangladesh and India, questioning the rationale behind such expenditures.
USAID allocated $29 million to strengthen Bangladesh’s political infrastructure and $21 million to increase voter turnout in India.
Trump remarked that he should not
have to concern himself with the political affairs of these nations.
During a speech at the Governors’ Working Session at the White House in Washington, DC, Trump raised concerns over the allocation of taxpayer money to foreign projects. Highlighting the grant to Bangladesh, he stated: “They got $29 million.
They got a cheque. Can you imagine you have a small firm, you get $10,000 here, $10,000 there? And then we give $29 million from the United States government. They had two people working in that firm.”
Expressing further scepticism, he added: “Two people… I think they are very happy. They are very rich. They will soon be on the cover of a prestigious business magazine for being great scammers.”
In the same speech, Trump also criticised a $21 million USAID grant aimed at increasing voter turnout in India. Addressing Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi directly, he said: “$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.”
Trump’s remarks came shortly after the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Tesla CEO Elon Musk, announced a review of various US government expenditures.
According to DOGE, the United States had spent $486 million globally through the Consortium for Elections and Political Process Strengthening, with $21 million allocated for increasing voter participation in India.
Following DOGE’s disclosure, the issue has sparked renewed debate in India. Both the opposition Congress party and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have criticised the grant, calling it “foreign interference in India’s electoral process.”
BJP leader Amit Malviya condemned the Congress-led UPA government, which was in power when the funds were allocated, stating: “This is undoubtedly foreign interference in India’s electoral process. But who benefited from it? Certainly not the ruling party (BJP)! This initiative is linked to the systematic penetration of foreign organisations into Indian institutions.”
Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera, in response, defended the funding, emphasising that it was allocated in 2012 when Congress was in power. He questioned: “Did the government seek so-called ‘foreign interference’ to harm its own electoral prospects?”
On 16 February, DOGE posted a list on X, revealing the cancellation of multiple US-funded foreign projects, including those in 11 countries.
The post stated: “US taxpayer dollars were going to be spent on the following items, all of which have been cancelled.”
According to Democracy International, the Strengthening Political Landscape in Bangladesh (SPL) programme, funded by USAID and the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID), aimed to build political party capacity, improve relationships between parties and constituents, and reduce political violence. The project was initially scheduled to run from 2017 to 2024.
With increasing scrutiny on foreign aid allocations, Trump’s remarks and the subsequent actions of DOGE have reignited discussions on the effectiveness and necessity of such financial assistance programmes.
