The International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, better known as ICDDR,B, has served job termination notice to more than 1,000 of its employees following the US foreign aid freeze.
鈥楩ollowing the US government鈥檚 directive, we have suspended all projects and research activities funded by them until further notice,鈥� said ICDDR,B senior communications manager AKM Tariful Islam Khan.
鈥榃e express our sympathy and regret for the inconvenience caused to our service recipients, various partners and colleagues. We are hopeful that we can resume our activities in the future,鈥� he added.
He did not disclose the details about the projects and staff facing the impact of the US government鈥檚 decision.
Insiders said that the ICDDR,B was implementing the 鈥楢lliance for combating TB in Bangladesh鈥� project to聽 reduce the country鈥檚 tuberculosis burden.
Most of the employees impacted by the termination were employed under the TB project having been implemented in 23 districts.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, an ICDDR,B official said that the project employed more than 1,500 people 1,200 of whom, mostly under contract basis, were issued termination letters.
The TB project鈥檚 staff were working in collaboration with the government鈥檚 National Tuberculosis Control Programme.
United States president Donald Trump on January 20 issued an executive order suspending funding to all countries for 90 days to allow a review of the assistance programmes.
On January 25, the USAID in a letter to project implementing partners in Bangladesh stated that along with other countries around the world, the agency was declaring an immediate cessation or suspension of any work in Bangladesh under contracts, work orders, grants, cooperative agreements or other assistance or procurement instruments.
The ICDDR,B is a globally recognised health research institution in Bangladesh, focusing on public health, infectious diseases, nutrition, maternal and child health, and vaccines, with its employees primarily funded by grants, donations and contracts awarded by international organisations, governments and private donors.
The institution employs over 5,000 researchers, officers and staff.
Not only ICDDR,B, rest of the USAID-funded projects implemented by the Care Bangladesh, BRAC and others are also facing the same situation due to the latest directive from the US government.