Dhaka, March 29 -- Staff at the US Agency for International Development were told on Friday that all positions not required by law would be eliminated, after the State Department notified Congress it would discontinue USAID functions that do not align with Trump administration priorities.

The move will mean that nearly all remaining USAID employees will lose their jobs in July and September, which are the separation dates set out in an internal memo sent to staff by Jeremy Lewin, a member of billionaire Elon Musk's job-cutting Department of Government Efficiency.

The job cuts notice came on the same day that a powerful earthquake hit Myanmar, toppling buildings across a wide area. USAID has historically played a major role in coordinati...