US President Donald Trump’s administration has cancelled foreign aid for supporting democratic practices in a number of countries including Bangladesh and India, for saving American taxpayers’ money.

The US Department of Government Efficiency, headed by world’s richest person Elon Musk, announced the cuts in a post on X, formerly twitter, early Sunday.

As per the post, $29 million earmarked for “strengthening political landscape in Bangladesh,” while $21 million for voter turnout in India will not be disbursed.

The post revealed cancellation of a number of other US foreign aid programmes including the $20 million “fiscal federalism” initiative in Nepal, $19 million biodiversity conservation project in Nepal, $40 million for gender equality, $486 million for the Consortium of Elections and Political Process Strengthening, and others.

Impact on India and Bangladesh

The $21 million program for India was designed to increase voter participation in the country’s elections. Its cancellation comes just days after Trump met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, though the funding cut was not mentioned in their joint statements. In Bangladesh, the $29 million initiative aimed to foster political stability and democratic governance amid ongoing turmoil following the ousting of Sheikh Hasina’s government and the establishment of an interim administration led by Mohammad Yunus.

Broader Cuts to International Aid

The DOGE’s announcement also highlighted cuts to other international programs, including:

- $10 million for voluntary medical male circumcision in Mozambique

- $9.7 million for UC Berkeley to develop enterprise skills among Cambodian youth

- $2.3 million to strengthen independent voices in Cambodia

- $32 million for the Prague Civil Society Centre

- $40 million for a gender equality and women’s empowerment hub

- $14 million to improve public procurement in Serbia

- $20 million for fiscal federalism in Nepal

- $19 million for biodiversity conservation in Nepal

- $1.5 million for voter confidence in Liberia

- $14 million for social cohesion in Mali

- $2.5 million for inclusive democracies in Southern Africa

- $47 million for improving learning outcomes in Asia

- $2 million to develop sustainable recycling models in Kosovo

Trump Praises Musk’s DOGE 

President Trump lauded the DOGE for identifying significant government savings, claiming tens of billions of dollars had already been saved, with potential savings reaching up to $500 billion. The DOGE, created under Trump’s administration, aims to modernize federal technology and software while maximizing governmental efficiency.

The funding cuts underscore the Trump administration’s focus on reducing international aid and reallocating resources domestically, sparking debates about the implications for global development and diplomatic relations.

Source: India Today