An investigative report published by CSB News USA claims that the United States spent more than $325 million to bring political change in Bangladesh, leading to the fall of the government led by Sheikh Hasina in August 2024.
The report, titled โThe Paper Trail: How Washington Spent Over $325 Million Dismantling Bangladeshโs Elected Government,โ was published on April 10. It is based on the analysis of US grant databases, congressional testimonies, and declassified documents.
According to the report, financial flows into Bangladesh increased significantly in the months before August 5, 2024. A large portion of the funds was distributed through NGOs, civil society groups, and digital platforms.
The report says the money was used for digital campaigns and organizational capacity building, which may have helped create anti-government sentiment.
The report challenges the widely accepted idea that the 2024 uprising was a spontaneous, youth-led democratic movement. Instead, it describes it as a โplanned and financially supported project.โ
The report has created widespread discussion in international circles. While the event was previously described as a โGen Z revolution,โ the new claims raise questions about possible external involvement.
However, neither the government of the United States nor Bangladeshโs interim administration, led by Muhammad Yunus, has made any official statement yet.
Political analysts say that if the claims are proven true, it could start a new debate about US foreign policy in South Asia, as well as issues of sovereignty and foreign interference.
On August 5, 2024, during mass protests, Sheikh Hasina resigned and later took refuge in India. After that, an interim government was formed under the leadership of Muhammad Yunus.
This report, published about one and a half years after the events, has added a new and controversial dimension to the recent political history of Bangladesh.
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