Allegations of US involvement in Bangladesh’s July 2024 uprising are not new. The ousted former prime minister has repeatedly made such claims, although no credible investigation or source has substantiated them.

In continuation of this narrative, Awami League-affiliated propaganda pages Dainik Ajker Kantho and BDDigest claimed on April 12 that the United States spent $320 million to remove the Hasina government. The so-called “US media outlet” CSB News USA was cited as the source.

The same claim was also shared by numerous accounts linked to the Bangladesh Awami League, Jubo League, and other affiliated groups.

A verification by The Dissent found that the “US media outlet” CSB News USA cited in these claims is not an established American news organization. Instead, the page is at least partially operated from Bangladesh. Additionally, there is no evidence supporting the claim that the United States spent over $325 million to change Hasina’s government.

The verification identified a report published on April 10 on the website “CSB News USA” (https://csbnews.us) titled “The Paper Trail: How Washington Spent Over $325 Million Dismantling Bangladesh's Elected Government.”

The report claims that Washington spent more than $325 million to achieve the goal of changing Bangladesh’s elected government, citing various US and UK grants, projects, and contracts as evidence.

However, a review of official and primary sources shows that while several of the funding programs mentioned in the report are real, they do not prove the claim that the government was “dismantled.”

For example, the Strengthening Political Landscape (SPL) project was indeed funded by USAID and DFID. According to official descriptions, its objectives were to strengthen political party capacity, improve connections between parties and citizens, and reduce political violence.

A similar funding-related claim was circulated in February 2025, attributed to Donald Trump, by Awami League-affiliated pages. It alleged that the US spent $29 million to incite anti-government protests.

DismisLab fact-checked the claim at the time, noting that the $29 million project was not solely funded by the US; the UK government was also involved. The SPL project was implemented by Democracy International, which operates globally.

In reality, the funds were spent by Democracy International, which has long provided political training to young leaders from various parties, including the Awami League and BNP.

Similarly, the UK’s SPP2 program aimed to promote political participation, democratic practices, and dialogue.

Other initiatives such as Amar Vote Amar (AVA) and the Bangladesh America Maitree Activity (BAMA), implemented in partnership with BRAC, are also documented in official records. Their stated objectives include voter education, democratic participation, social development, and capacity building—not regime change.

In the CSB News USA report, these partnerships and funding programs are presented—without evidence—as causes of Hasina’s government’s fall. In other words, the report uses the fact that “funding existed” to conclude that “therefore the government was removed,” without providing direct proof.

The report also cites a “study” by a person named Jihan Jennifer Hassan as the source for the $325 million figure. However, no credible research by this name could be found.

According to official data, the United States provides significant foreign assistance to Bangladesh, part of which is allocated to democracy, governance, and civic engagement programs. However, these facts do not support the conclusion that a planned “regime change” operation took place.

Who runs ‘CSB News USA’?

A review of the Facebook page transparency section of CSB News USA shows that the page was created on August 12, 2022. It was renamed CSB News USA Bangla on November 6, 2022, and renamed again on April 5, 2024.

The page is currently managed by 18 admins. Despite the “USA” label, 16 of them are located in Bangladesh and 2 in Australia. Most recent posts are in Bangla.

The report is authored by Abu Obidha Arin, described as:
“Abu Obaidha Arin is a Bangladeshi thinker and writer focused on politics, governance, and the societal impact of digital systems.”

A Facebook account under this name was found, with the bio:
“A loyal torchbearer of Bangabandhu’s legacy and a committed Awami League activist. Soldier of Hasina.”

Arin also shared the report on his Facebook page. His account includes multiple posts related to the Awami League, where he identifies himself as a party activist. According to his profile, he is currently based in India and studies at the University of Delhi.

An examination of the CSB News USA website shows a strong focus on Bangladesh-related content, including criticism of the former interim government, BNP campaign coverage in Dhaka-17, and reports on DUCSU VP candidate Shamim Hossain.

Authors and associated individuals

Analysis of recent contributors to the site shows that a person named Erik Cipher is listed as a US correspondent and described as a “renowned American journalist with two decades of experience.” However, no evidence of such a journalist could be found.

Additionally, the image used for Erik Cipher is not authentic; it appears to be a stock photo of a Serbian woman sourced from iStock.

Another contributor, Abhishek Bhattacharya, is described as a South Asia correspondent based in India, but no verifiable information about him could be found online or on social media.

Other listed contributors—Saifur Rahman, Rayhan Ahmed Tamim, Ikhtiar Hossain, M Rayhan Kabir, Mizanur Rahman, Golam Moula, Salahin Kadir, and Abu Obaidha Arin—are all Bangladeshi nationals.

When The Dissent contacted one of them, the person, speaking on condition of anonymity, said:
“I do not know who runs CSB News USA.”

Additionally, ATN News English presenter Salahin Kadir has claimed on Facebook to be the Bangladesh bureau chief of CSB News USA.