Bangladesh, April 15 -- In a move that has stunned the American academic establishment and ignited fierce debate across political and educational lines, President Donald Trumps administration has announced the suspension of over $2.2 billion in federal grants and an additional $60 million in contracts to Harvard University. The decision comes after Harvard rejected a comprehensive list of demands from the White House, sparking what many are calling an unprecedented confrontation between the federal government and higher education institutions.

The freeze marks the most significant action to date in a growing standoff between the Trump administration and elite universities over the handling of pro-Palestinian student protests, the rise of...