The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said US President Donald Trump’s recent allegation that a $29 million USAID grant went to a Bangladeshi organization owned by two people is untrue. The ministry said in a statement today (3 March) that Democracy International. A US registered organization, has carried out a $29 million USAID-funded project called “Strengthening Political Landscape (SPL) in Bangladesh” in the nation. Speaking to the Governors Working Session at the White House in Washington, DC, on February 21, Trump asserted that the $29 million USAID fund was awarded to a company that no one had ever heard of. “They received $29 million. They received a check. Imagine having a small business where you make $10,000 here and $10,000 there. Next they received $29 million from the US government. “That company had two employees,” he stated. However an examination by the foreign ministry showed that USAID chose Democracy International to carry out the SPL project during President Trump’s first term. Many international organizations took part in the bidding process after a request for project proposals, and USAID made the choice through an open and competitive procedure.
“Democracy International began carrying out the project in March 2017 once the deal was signed. Subsequently, the project’s duration was prolonged and funding arrived gradually,” the statement says. According to the ministry the bilateral Development Objective Assistance Agreement (DOAG) between the US and Bangladesh is used to carry out these kinds of initiatives. “In this case, individuals have no power to do anything.” “At first, the SPL project had a $14 million budget and a five-year timeline. USAID oversaw the project, which was funded by both USAID and DFID [now FCDO], the UK’s development assistance organization. The ministry added in the statement that DFID has committed $10 million in funds for this project.
“The SPL project’s primary goals were to lessen political violence and promote harmony and peace foster peaceful coexistence between political parties, boost party capacity, enhance internal democracy within parties and support the growth of representative leadership. Democracy International also carried out survey work in Bangladesh as part of the initiative,” it continued. According to the ministry, USAID programs must adhere to the US government’s financial management policy and audit procedure. It stated that “Relevant documents are preserved even after the completion of projects and re-audits are carried out if necessary.”
Source:The Business Standard
