Bangladesh's Foreign Affairs Adviser, Md Touhid Hossain, has stated that the government is unaware of the alleged $29 million aid reportedly provided by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), as recently mentioned by former US President Donald Trump.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, Adviser Hossain clarified, "It’s better if you don’t ask me about the $29 million. You might not know much about it, and I know even less. I have no clear information on who received the money or how it was spent."
He further explained that the NGO Affairs Bureau, responsible for overseeing foreign donations to non-governmental organizations, has confirmed that there is no official record of such funding. "I have worked as an honorary director in an organization that ran 15 dialysis centers. Back then, no foreign funds could be used without the NGO Bureau's approval. So, if they say there’s no record, we have to accept that for now," he added.
The comments follow former President Donald Trump’s remarks at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on Saturday, where he criticized the alleged $29 million USAID grant, claiming it was intended to influence Bangladesh’s political landscape in favor of left-wing candidates. Trump also expressed concerns that the funds were handled by a small firm with only two employees, labeling them as “great scammers.”
As of now, the Bangladesh government has not found any official trace of the mentioned funding and awaits further clarification on the issue.
Posts
