The suspension of funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has plunged several non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in Bangladesh, including the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), BRAC, and CARE, into a state of profound uncertainty.
While these organisations monitor the unfolding situation, they remain unable to make definitive decisions regarding their future operations.
Notably, icddr,b, a bastion of public trust in specialised healthcare services, has already issued termination notices to over a thousand employees, citing the sudden withdrawal of financial support.
It has been reported that the affected staff will receive due compensation in accordance with international labour laws.
AKM Tariful Islam Khan, senior manager (Communications) at icddr,b, stated, "In compliance with directives from the US government, we have suspended projects and research activities funded by USAID until further notice. We deeply regret any inconvenience caused to our service recipients, partners, and colleagues and remain hopeful about resuming operations soon."
When pressed for details regarding the exact number of projects and employees impacted, Khan declined to provide specifics, citing strategic concerns.
However, sources indicate that out of approximately 150 ongoing projects at icddr,b, around ten are directly funded by USAID, with additional projects receiving indirect support through other channels.
National Tuberculosis Control Programme (NTP) appears to be the most severely affected.
The abrupt cessation of funding raises critical concerns about the continuity of treatment for patients reliant on the programme for free medication—particularly impoverished individuals in remote areas who lack the means to purchase these life-saving drugs.
Bangladesh records over 35,000 tuberculosis-related deaths annually, with 44,000 fatalities reported in 2020 alone, surpassing the toll from the COVID-19 pandemic that year.
The discontinuation of free treatment could derail Bangladesh's ambitious target of becoming tuberculosis-free by 2035.
The potential interruption of care for patients mid-treatment poses severe public health risks, as untreated tuberculosis can lead to increased transmission and drug resistance.
BRAC and CARE, among the largest recipients of USAID funding in Bangladesh, face similar predicaments. The future of many of their ongoing projects now hangs in the balance.
Attempts to obtain comments from CARE Bangladesh’s headquarters at the RAOWA Centre in Mohakhali were met with silence, with staff citing strict instructions from the country director to refrain from discussing the issue. Even written queries went unanswered.
Meanwhile, Mamunul Haque, lead for external communications at BRAC, provided a terse written statement, acknowledging the situation but refraining from detailed comments, promising to respond after further assessment.
Despite these setbacks, icddr,b’s diagnostic services remain unaffected.
Known for its reliability and international accreditation, icddr,b conducts approximately 700 tests across 180 parameters, maintaining the highest ISO certification standards in Bangladesh.
The revenue generated from these services sustains the institution's inpatient care, ensuring that no diarrhoea patient is ever turned away, even if it necessitates makeshift treatment facilities in corridors or outdoor tents.
USAID, established in 1961 under President John F Kennedy, employs around 10,000 staff members and administers nearly $40 billion of the United States' total $68 billion foreign aid budget.
The recent suspension of USAID's operations follows directives from President Donald Trump during his second term, who has sought to integrate the agency into the US State Department.
Trump's administration has also restricted staff movements to USAID’s Washington headquarters and taken down its official website.
In a White House press briefing, Trump claimed, "Radical leftists run USAID. The organisation has engaged in widespread fraud and evaded accountability."
The decision has faced sharp criticism from Democratic lawmakers, who denounced it as "illegal and unconstitutional."
They argue that the suspension jeopardises vulnerable populations worldwide, undermines US national security, and diminishes America's global influence.
