Saima Wazed Putul- daughter of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Photo: Collected

DHAKA, Jan 26, 2025 (BSS) - The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has found corruption of Saima Wazed Putul, daughter of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in getting appointment as regional director of WHO.

According to a press release of the anti-graft body, the commission has found preliminary information regarding the matter during investigation on the allegations submitted to the commission.

The ACC team found that Putul misused the state resources and adopted unlawful illegal activities for securing the appointment as the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for the South East Asia Region.

“There are convincible allegations of corruption against Saima Wazed Putul.  It is disgraceful for the country to allow such a person to continue in the WHO’s prestigious position, which may severely tarnish country’s image in the global arena,” the ACC said. 

Analyzing different information it was found that Saima Wazed Putul was included as entourage member in various state visits without any reasonable ground. The given information about the qualification of Saima Wazwd as the candidate for WHO position was not correct. It was also found that during submission of the nomination Saima was a Canadian citizen with valid passport of that country.

More than one hundred officials and delegates from Bangladesh attended the 76th WHO Conference in New Delhi from October 30 to November 2, 2023, wasting state money, the investigators found.

To get WHO appointment, Saima Wazed Putul has wasted huge amount of public money by abusing her family influence and the state power of her close relatives, the ACC added.

An investigation into a separate allegation revealed that Saima Wazed Putul illegally acquired a 10 katha plot in the diplomatic zone of the Purbachal New Town in Dhaka through corruption and abusing her family's political influence for which she has been prosecuted with others by the ACC.

Saima Wazed Putul opened an organization namely ‘Suchana Foundation’ for which she forcibly collected gifts and donation, and embezzled the money. She also embezzled huge amount of state money by showing fake projects for ‘Autistic Cell’ under the Health Department of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The ACC is investigating the allegations against Saima Wazed Putul, the ACC stated.

It was also alleged that Putul exerted illegal influence on the National Board of Revenue (NBR) to keep the income of the Suchana Foundation out of tax net which caused huge financial loss to the government.