(MENAFN) A sweeping shutdown of 55 out of 59 USAID-backed initiatives in Bangladesh has triggered massive layoffs in the country’s development sector, displacing over 50,000 professionals, according to estimates shared Tuesday.

Zinat Ara Afroze, the convener of the Association of Unemployed Development Professionals (AUDP), disclosed the figures during a press briefing in Dhaka.

In a prepared statement, she stated that over 50,000 professionals tied to these and related projects had lost their jobs, and the country had forfeited $700 million in development aid.

Afroze urged the government and relevant authorities to immediately initiate talks with AUDP to address the crisis and seek viable remedies.

The decision stems from a directive issued by USAID Bangladesh on January 25, which informed local implementing partners of the immediate halt or suspension of all activities under contracts, grants, cooperative agreements, and other procurement or assistance frameworks in Bangladesh and several other nations.

This move follows an executive order from U.S. President Donald Trump that temporarily froze development funding worldwide for 90 days to reassess the scope and effectiveness of programs supported by USAID, one of the globe’s largest aid organizations.

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