Fulbright scholar Aubrey Lay was supposed to receive three months’ worth of payments from the U.S. government for his teaching assistantship at a school for Ukrainian refugees in Estonia. However, he only received approximately one week’s pay, with no indication of when the rest of his grant would be disbursed, reports AP. US agents arrest Palestinian activist who led Columbia University protests Lay is one of many scholars worldwide who rely on State Department funding to participate in long-standing programmes such as Fulbright. These scholars report that their payments were suddenly halted after being informed that their activities were under review. This decision appears to align with the White House’s push to significantly reduce government spending, a shift that has affected numerous federal agencies. In the coming weeks and months, the government is set to undergo even more drastic changes. President Donald Trump has instructed agencies to develop plans for extensive layoffs, known as reductions in force, which will likely result in scaled-back operations at agencies delivering essential services. The funding freeze has left thousands of scholars stranded outside their home countries, uncertain about the future of their programmes or how they will sustain themselves financially. In February, the U.S. State Department temporarily halted spending to conduct a review of its programmes and activities, according to NAFSA, an association of international educators. This pause included initiatives such as the Fulbright, Gilman, and Critical Language international scholarships. Since the spending freeze was implemented, scholars and advocacy groups have reported that grant payments have stopped, with no communication from U.S. officials regarding whether the situation will change. The State Department did not immediately respond to a request from The Associated Press for comment on the funding suspension. Lay expressed frustration over the lack of communication from U.S. officials. He also worried about the future of a programme that his grandmother had taken part in decades ago. Established in 1946, Fulbright has become a flagship initiative for the U.S. government’s cross-cultural engagement efforts. However, his biggest concern is the impact on his students if he is forced to leave prematurely. “I don’t want to be yet another source of instability and uncertainty in their lives,” Lay said. “That thought is unbearable to me.” Lay said he could manage for another month, but he feared for participants who lacked financial savings. “The only clarity I have is that nobody knows what’s happening,” he said. “Every time I ask someone, they have no answers and are just as confused as I am.” According to the Fulbright Association, a nonprofit comprising programme alumni, thousands of scholars are in situations similar to Lay’s. In a newsletter email, the association reported that the funding halt affects “over 12,500 American students, youth, and professionals currently abroad or scheduled to take part in State Department programmes over the next six months.” Beyond U.S. citizens, the Fulbright Association noted that the pause had also cut funding for U.S.-based programmes that host over 7,400 individuals. Halyna Morozova, a Fulbright scholar from Kyiv who teaches Ukrainian at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, had just endured an exhausting day at the airport on 28 February. That same day, President Trump had harshly criticised Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a highly unusual Oval Office meeting, leaving Morozova deeply worried about the future of her country and her family back home. Who is Mark Carney, the next prime minister of Canada? Then, she received an email from the Institute of International Education (IIE), which administers the Fulbright scholarship. “IIE is currently authorised to send you a partial stipend equivalent to one week of your anticipated upcoming stipend payment,” the email stated. “We will provide updates on future payments as soon as possible.” Morozova panicked. Typically, she received $750 per month. Now, she had to stretch just $187.50 to cover her expenses. “It was terrifying—not only because I am stranded in another country,” she said. “We have no idea if we will receive another stipend here, or even if they have the funds to buy our tickets home. So much is uncertain.” Olga Bezhanova, a professor overseeing Morozova and two other scholars, said the exchange programme had been an integral part of her university’s language education for nearly two decades. Now, she is exploring whether the university can supplement the scholars’ lost funds. If that is not feasible, she admitted she was unsure of what else could be done. “I have to look into the faces of these brilliant individuals as they ask me, ‘Is this really America? What is happening?’” she said. “This is an absolute mess.”

The United States has urged the Bangladesh government to ensure a fair and transparent legal process for all arrested individuals. It also called on the Bangladesh government to allow opposition members, media professionals and civil society representatives to participate meaningfully in the country’s democratic process and civic life. “We will continue to engage with the Bangladesh government to advance that point of view,” US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters at a regular briefing in Washington on January 30. New USAID-funded disaster shelter and school opens in Cox’s Bazar Though international observers described January 7 election in Bangladesh as “free and fair,” the US State Department spokesperson said they did not find the national polls to be free and fair. The US also expressed concerns over the arrest of political opposition members in the run-up to those elections. Miller said US will continue to engage with the Bangladesh government to advance democratic principles, which are key to ensuring peace and prosperity for all Bangladeshis. US says will continue to take steps to deepen partnership with Bangladesh

The United States shared the view with other observers that Sunday's (January 07, 2024) elections in Bangladesh "were not free or fair" and they regret that not all parties participated, the US State Department said. The United States remains concerned by the arrests of political opposition members and by reports of irregularities on elections day, said US State Department spokesperson Mathew Miller in Washington on Monday (January 08, 2024). Miller said the United States supports the people of Bangladesh and their aspirations for democracy, freedom of peaceful assembly, and freedom of expression. Read: No legitimate grounds to warrant economic sanctions against Bangladesh: BGMEA The United States, however, recognised that the Awami League won a majority of seats in the January 7, 2024 parliamentary elections, he said. "Looking ahead, the United States remains committed to partnering with Bangladesh to advance our shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific, to supporting human rights and civil society in Bangladesh, and to deepening our people-to-people and economic ties," said Miller. He said the United States condemned violence that took place during elections and in the months leading up to it. Read: Awami League not worried about any sanctions: Quader The US encouraged the government of Bangladesh to credibly investigate reports of violence and to hold perpetrators accountable, said the spokesperson. "We also urge all political parties to reject violence," Miller said. Read more: Bangladeshis did not get fullest range of voting options: UK on Sunday’s election "My read of this US readout on Bangladesh’s election is that the current US policy toward Dhaka will essentially remain in place-a continued strong focus on rights and democracy, but otherwise stay the course and keep pursuing deeper strategic partnership," said Michael Kugelman. "US government statement on Bangladesh elections acknowledges AL win, criticizes process, condemns violence, and looks forward to continued partnership," said Geoffrey Macdonald.

The United States has said it is aware of Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova's “deliberate mischaracterization” of US foreign policy and US Ambassador to Bangladesh Peter Haas’ meetings. “The United States does not support any political party in Bangladesh. Nor does the United States favor one political party over another,” a State Department spokesperson said on Saturday (November 25, 2023). The US State Department reiterated that they want what the Bangladeshi people want: free and fair elections conducted in a peaceful manner. USA will support Bangladesh after election: Momen To support that shared goal of free and fair elections conducted in a peaceful manner, the US embassy personnel engage and will continue to engage with the government, opposition, civil society, and other stakeholders to urge them to work together for the benefit of the Bangladeshi people, said the State Department spokesperson. Maria Zakharova, during a weekly briefing on November 22, said that Russia has spoken repeatedly about the attempts by the United States and its allies to influence the internal political process in Bangladesh, ostensibly under the banner of ensuring “transparency and inclusiveness” in the upcoming parliamentary election. Information has come to light regarding a meeting at the end of October between US Ambassador to Bangladesh Peter Haas and a high-ranking representative of the local opposition, according to the Russian side. They reportedly discussed plans to organize mass anti-government protests in the country during the meeting, the Russian side said. In particular, the American Ambassador “promised” the representative of the opposition information support in the event that the authorities use force against participants in “peaceful demonstrations.” These assurances were purportedly made on behalf of the embassies of the United States, Britain, Australia and several other countries, according to a Facebook post shared by the Russian Embassy in Dhaka. China's cooperation is vital in ending Russia-Ukraine war: French FM "How can these actions of the American Ambassador to Bangladesh be regarded? They can be seen as nothing less than gross interference in the internal affairs of a sovereign state on the part of Washington and its satellites, demonstrating open disregard for the norms and rules enshrined in the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations," the Russian spokeswoman said. "On our part, we have no doubts regarding the ability of the Bangladeshi authorities to hold the parliamentary election scheduled for January 7, 2024, in full compliance with national legislation, independently, without the help of overseas well-wishers," said the Russian spokeswoman.

The United States has encouraged Bangladesh to “root out corrupt actors,” operating within its borders “fairly and impartially.” “Generally speaking, sanctions can be a tool to fight corruption,” US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters in a regular briefing in Washington on August 8. He said they have other tools as well, such as freezing assets and giving partner nations information so they can prosecute cases. Read: US prioritizing global anti-corruption efforts, to focus on business aspects in future: US official tells foreign secretary Responding to a question on demand for free and fair election, Miller said they have made it clear several times that the US supports free and fair elections in Bangladesh. “We’ve made that clear publicly. We’ve made that clear in conversations with the Bangladeshi Government, and that will continue to be our policy,” he said.  The US Department of State’s Coordinator on Global Anti-Corruption, Richard Nephew, echoed the same regarding sanctions to address corruption during his Bangladesh visit on August 6-8. Read: Bangladesh can draw more investment if corruption remains less prevalent: Peter Haas During his visit, Nephew met government officials, businesspersons, and civil society leaders to discuss how to fight the scourge of corruption. Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen, after his meeting with Nephew, said that Bangladesh laid emphasis on more transparency and accountability over issues involving money laundering, noting that in most cases Bangladesh does not get required feedback when it comes to mutual legal assistance. Read: Public Service Commission was plagued by corruption, depriving meritorious candidates during BNP-Jamaat govt: Sajeeb Wazed The US has invited Bangladesh to attend the 20th anniversary of the UN Convention Against Corruption in Atlanta in December this year. The foreign secretary said Bangladesh will take part in the meeting where the host US will seek renewed commitment from the participating countries or institutions to jointly tackle global corruption.

The United States has welcomed the Bangladesh government's decision to reform the Digital Security Act. “We welcome the Bangladesh government’s long-stated commitment to reform the law, to protect freedom of expression,” US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters at a regular briefing in Washington on August 7. Read: Cyber Security Act could be deadlier than DSA: Rizvi He said the US encourages the government of Bangladesh to give all stakeholders an opportunity to review and provide input on the new draft Cyber Security Act, to ensure that it meets international standards. “As we’ve previously stated, the Digital Security Act has been used to arrest, detain, and silence critics,” the US State Department spokesperson said. Read: TIB guardedly welcomes Cabinet’s decision to scrap DSA

The United States has reiterated that they support everyone’s right to freely exercise their role in a democratic society. "We oppose any restrictions on human rights," US Department of State Spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters during a regular media briefing on July 24. Read: Dhaka Metro Rail a symbol of Japan’s contributions to Bangladesh’s fast development: Nishimura Yasutoshi He said visa restrictions would apply to anyone who undermines the democratic election process in Bangladesh. "Actions that constitute undermining the democratic election process include vote rigging, voter intimidation, the use of violence to prevent people from exercising their rights to freedom of association and peaceful assembly, and the use of measures designed to prevent political parties, voters, civil society, or the media from disseminating their views," said the spokesperson. Read: EU Special Representative for Human Rights in Dhaka with ‘wide-ranging’ agenda Responding to another question, he said they do not take a position with respect to any political party in Bangladesh or in other countries. "But we believe that Bangladesh and all countries throughout the world should have free and fair elections," US Department of State Spokesperson Miller said. Read: Transforming Global Food Systems: $400 billion needed per year while doing nothing could cost $12 trillion

The United States has said it engages directly with Bangladeshi officials to discuss "shared priorities" for the two countries. Talking to reporters during a regular briefing at the US State Department on July 18, its Spokesperson Matthew Miller said US Under Secretary Uzra Zeya emphasized in her trip the importance of the United States and Bangladesh working together to achieve Bangladesh’s goal of "free and fair elections" as well as the crucial role of civil society, human rights defenders, journalists, and labor activists, and accountability for human rights abuses.  "These are important issues in our bilateral relationship," he said, adding that senior officials from the United States regularly travel to Bangladesh. This type of political violence has no place in democratic elections: US State Dept on Hero Alam assault  Miller said the US Under Secretary also emphasized the importance of continuing to support the Rohingya refugees.  She visited Rohingya refugees as well as humanitarian partners and Bangladesh senior government officials in Cox’s Bazar and announced $74 million in additional humanitarian assistance to support Myanmar and Bangladesh response efforts.  US State Department ‘deeply concerned over use of Digital Security Act’ "I will just say finally that the United States is dedicated to partnering with the government and civil society to address the scourge of human trafficking in the region," Miller said. US Under Secretary Uzra Zeya announces $1m State Dept grant for child victims of trafficking

The United States has said holding free and fair elections in Bangladesh is a "shared desire" of the two friendly countries.  "It’s a desire that we share as a friend and partner of Bangladesh for over 50 years," said US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller in a regular briefing at the State Department on Monday (July 10, 2023).  He noted that the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, has repeatedly stated her own commitment to free and fair elections.   Read: Momen welcomes foreign observers during maiden interaction with British envoy "I don’t know why anyone would object to us calling for free and fair elections," Miller said, apparently referring to statements that came from Russia, China and Iranian media.   Miller reiterated that they do not support one political party over the other. "We support a genuine democratic process." "We don’t consider it interference in internal affairs when other countries raise our elections process with us. We welcome those discussions as an opportunity to strengthen our democracy, and we don’t know why any other countries would object," he added. Read: Dialogues between parties not held in other countries, including in the US: Momen Asked whether US Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights Uzra Zeya and Assistant Secretary Donald Lu will engage with the ruling party and the opposition party BNP, Miller said she will meet with senior government officials to discuss shared humanitarian concerns, including the Rohingya refugee crisis, labor issues, human rights, free and fair elections, and combating trafficking in persons.   Key Engagements US Under Secretary Zeya is scheduled to arrive in Dhaka this evening. She is likely to visit the Rohingya camp in Cox’s Bazar on Wednesday as the Rohingya issue remains one of the top priorities of her visit, an official told UNB. She said her visit is aimed at advancing “shared solutions” to global challenges; contribute to a more free, open, secure and prosperous Indo-Pacific; and bolster humanitarian support for refugees and host communities throughout the region. Read: US Under Secretary Uzra Zeya holds "productive" meeting with Ambassador Imran; looks forward to deepening partnership She is likely to meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her Private Industries and Investment Adviser Salman F Rahman apart from her meetings with Law and Home Ministers and Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen, a diplomatic source told UNB. US Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu and Deputy Assistant Administrator of the Bureau for Asia, USAID Änjali Kaur will be part of the delegation, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Read: Not endorsing one political party vs another in Bangladesh: US State Dept says Zeya leads global diplomatic efforts to strengthen democracy, advance universal human rights, support refugees and humanitarian relief, promote rule of law and counternarcotics cooperation, fight corruption and intolerance, prevent armed conflict, and eliminate human trafficking.

The U.S. has approved more arms sales to Taiwan, including $619 million worth of munitions for F-16 fighter jets, in a decision likely to be yet another point of friction between the U.S. and China, which claims the island as its own territory. The State Department said in a statement Wednesday night it had approved sales of missiles to be used with the F-16s as well as equipment to support the missiles. That includes AGM-88 anti-radiation missiles, as well as air-to-air missiles and launchers. Taiwan is unofficially supported by the U.S. and has a fleet of F-16s bought from the U.S. Tensions between China and the U.S. are at their highest level in years over American support for the self-governed island, including visits by high-ranking politicians, and a host of other issues, including a suspected Chinese spy balloon that crossed the U.S. before being shot down last month. China considers Taiwan part of its territory to be brought under its control by force if necessary, and has been stepping up its military and diplomatic harassment. The sides split amid civil war in 1949, and China’s authoritarian Communist Party has never held sway over the island. The United States is Taiwan’s main supplier of military equipment, and China has objected to past sales with sanctions and other actions. Once arms sales are approved, delivering them can take years, and Taiwan has cited consistent delays in receiving weapons it has purchased. The arms will be provided by Raytheon Missiles and Defense and Lockheed Martin Corporation.