US fund cuts: 1,000 icddr,b staffers lose jobs
The impact of newly-elected US President Donald Trump’s decision to halt foreign aid has also reached Bangladesh’s International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research (icddr,b).
As a result, the jobs of over a thousand officials and employees engaged in various projects under the organisation have become uncertain.
icddr,b has issued termination letters to over a thousand employees. Those who received these letters primarily worked in programmes funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). All of these officials and employees were employed on a contractual basis.
icddr,b Senior Manager (communications) AKM Tariful Islam Khan confirmed the matter to The Daily Star last night.
AKM Tariful Islam Khan said, “As per the directive of the US government, we have suspended projects and research funded by them until further notice. We express our sympathy and regret for any inconvenience caused to our service recipients, various stakeholders, and colleagues. We hope to resume our activities soon.”
LondonGBDESK//
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