In Bangladesh, more than 50,000 people have lost their jobs following the closure of 55 out of 59 development programs operated with the support of USAID. The job losses have primarily affected the development sector.
Zinat Ara Afroze, the coordinator of the Association of Unemployed Development Professionals (AUDP), shared this information during a press conference held in Dhaka on Tuesday. Reading from a written statement, she stated that over 50,000 professionals associated with these programs and related projects have lost their jobs, and the country has missed out on development aid worth approximately USD 700 million.
She also urged the government to immediately engage in dialogue with AUDP to find a solution to the crisis.
In a letter dated January 25, USAID Bangladesh informed its project implementation partners that:
“Like in other countries, the agency has declared the immediate suspension or termination of any work under contracts, work orders, grants, cooperative agreements, or any other assistance or procurement instruments in Bangladesh.”
Previously, former U.S. President Donald Trump had issued an executive order to suspend development aid to all countries for 90 days as part of a review of the financial assistance programs run by USAID, the world’s largest humanitarian donor agency.
As of recent data (prior to 2025), USAID (United States Agency for International Development) has provided financial assistance to over 100 countries worldwide across Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe. These funds typically support programs related to:
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Health and education
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Agriculture and food security
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Democracy and governance
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Economic development
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Humanitarian aid
USAID Suspends Funding:
USAID funding suspended and dozens of countries affected, especially those that rely heavily on external aid. The degree of impact varies depending on:
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Dependency level on USAID grants or contracts
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Scope of suspended programs (e.g., health vs. infrastructure)
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Duration of the suspension
Examples of Heavily Affected Countries:
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Afghanistan
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Bangladesh
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Ethiopia
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South Sudan
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Haiti
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Yemen
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Nepal
