USAID plans to ‘realign,\\\' ‘shift’ programmes

The US Agency for International Development (USAID) will continue to provide development assistance to Bangladesh keeping its total amount unchanged, including its spending on ‘democracy and governance’ area. “…let me clarify, we do not intend to reduce,” Janina Jaruzelski, the new USAID Mission Director to Bangladesh, said here on Monday confirming that the spending on democracy and governance topic ‘will not be reduced’. The new mission director said this at a press conference held at the American Centre in the city. US Ambassador in Dhaka Dan W Mozena and Press and Information Officer of the US Embassy Kelly S McCarthy were also present. Jaruzelski, however, said they have a plan to ‘realign’ and ‘shift’ their programmes to make those ‘appropriate and effective’ in line with the ‘current political environment’, according to a news agency.