Musk-led DOGE cuts US funding worth $750m in Bangladesh, India, Nepal, 8 other countries
Projects with funding slashed include $29 million for "strengthening the political landscape in Bangladesh," according to a post of DOGE on X
US President Donald Trump's cost-cutting team, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has cancelled some US-funded overseas projects, including one for strengthening the political landscape in Bangladesh and another for voter turnout in India.
Elon Musk-led DOGE posted on X, listing the names of 11 countries and specific names of some of the projects.
"US taxpayer dollars were going to be spent on the following items, all of which have been cancelled," reads the DOGE post.
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The post includes a $29 million project to "strengthening political landscape in Bangladesh."
DOGE is led by Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, an American entrepreneur and politician.
According to the Democracy International website, the Strengthening Political Landscape in Bangladesh program (SPL), funded by USAID and DFID, works to build political party capacity and strengthen relationships between parties and constituents while reducing political violence.
It says the duration of the project was from 2017 to 2024.
As for India, the DOGE post states that $21M for voter turnout in India have been cancelled.
The decision comes only a day after US President Donald Trump met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss strengthening bilateral ties.
During a joint press briefing, Trump was asked if USAID had a role in the 2020 US presidential elections and 2024 Lok Sabha polls in India.
"It [USAID] could have had a role in Indian elections. Bad things happened in 2020 and in 2024. But the 2024 US polls were too big to rig. But I think they probably tried," Trump replied.
Meanwhile, the Social Media Cell Head of India's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Amit Malviya, have already questioned the motives behind such foreign funding.
"USD 21M for voter turnout? This definitely is external interference in India's electoral process. Who gains from this? Not the ruling party for sure!" he posted on X.
Speaking in Lok Sabha on 10 February, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey demanded that the government probe organisations funded by USAID in India, alleging that most such outfits worked to create unrest in the country and had links with the opposition Congress, reports India's Business Standard newspaper.
Meanwhile, the DOGE post also mentioned cancelling $20 million for "fiscal federalism" and $19 million for "biodiversity conversation" in Nepal.
Among other countries on its list are Mozambique, Cambodia, Czech Republic, Serbia, Moldova, Liberia, Mali and Kosovo.
