Staff Reporter :
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed two separate cases against Saima Wazed Putul on Thursday. ACC sources have confirmed the matter to the media.
In one case, Saima Wazed Putul, daughter of ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina, has been accused of abusing power, and using fraud, and forgery to secure the position of Regional Director of the World Health Organization’s South-East Asia Regional Office.
She has also been accused of coercing member banks of the Bangladesh Association of Banks (BAB) into depositing Tk 33.05 crore into the accounts of Shuchona Foundation.
The cases were filed yesterday at the ACC’s Integrated District Office-1 in Dhaka by ACC Deputy Director Tahasin Munabil Haque.
While one case names Saima Wazed as the sole accused, the other also implicates former BAB Chairman Nazrul Islam Mazumder.
ALLEGED FRAUD IN WHO APPOINTMENT
According to the case statement, Putul is accused of fabricating credentials in her application for the WHO Regional Director post in 2023.
The ACC alleges that she falsely claimed to be engaged in teaching and reviewing educational manuals at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), despite having no such involvement.
In her application, Saima reportedly listed her position at BSMMU saying she was an “Honorary Specialist/Expert at BSMMU (2022-Present), providing technical expertise on autism spectrum disorder and mental health, and reviewing manuals for the care and management of developmental disorders” in her CV.
However, upon investigation, BSMMU authorities confirmed that she never held such a position or participated in any academic or research activities related to manual development.
The ACC has charged her under Sections 420, 468, and 471 of the Penal Code, along with Section 5(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act of 1947, for allegedly misrepresenting her qualifications to secure the WHO role.
ALLEGATIONS OF FORCED CSR CONTRIBUTIONS TO SHUCHONA FOUNDATION
The second case alleges that Saima Wazed Putul and Nazrul Islam Mazumder colluded to misuse their power and exert undue influence over member banks of the Bangladesh Association of Banks, compelling them to contribute Tk 33.05 crore from their corporate social responsibility (CSR) funds to Shuchona Foundation, where Putul herself was the chairperson.
The case has been filed under Section 5(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act and Section 109 of the Penal Code.
The case statement revealed that an enforcement operation was conducted by the ACC headquarters on January 29 against Shuchona Foundation.
During the operation, no physical office of Shuchona Foundation was found.
The investigation found that Putul and Nazrul repeatedly pressured banks to contribute funds to the Foundation.
In May 2017, 17 banks were forced to donate Tk 21 crore from their CSR funds.
A total of 20 banks ultimately contributed Tk 33.05 crore.
Further inquiries into the foundation’s records show that no documentation was available regarding how the collected funds were spent.
Since the organisation had no physical existence, the ACC suspects that the money was embezzled through forged records, which will be thoroughly examined during the investigation.
On the other hand, ACC has launched an inquiry into Jatiyo Party (JaPa) Chairman GM Quader on allegations of embezzlement and laundering money obtained through bribes for party positions and candidacy.
“Quader became JaPa chairman fraudulently and earned huge sums of money by giving away party positions and candidacy inside his party, which he later laundered abroad,” Akhtar Hossain told reporters.
“Although the central committee of the party consists of 301 members, around 600 to 650 people have been included in the committee, which is a proof of position business,” ACC DG added.
In their complaint, the ACC said they have found preliminary proof of the allegations brought against Quader and have decided to take legal action through an open inquiry.
The ACC complaint says that at least Tk18.10 crore was taken as bribes from Jatiyo Party candidates for the reserved seats for women during the 11th parliamentary election in 2018.
ACC alleged that the prime beneficiary of this financial scheme was Quader, who was the acting chairman of the party at that time.
ACC findings said that a party leader named Masuda M Rashid Chowdhury was “suspended from the party for not paying the money as per the agreement”, and Quader’s wife Sharifa Quader became MP in her place.
About Quader’s illegal wealth, ACC said in their allegations that according to Quader’s election affidavit submitted during the 12th parliamentary election in 2024, he has Tk49.88 lakh in cash, Tk35.95 lakh in banks, and a jeep car worth Tk84.98 lakh.
Quader’s wife Sharifa has Tk59.59lakh in cash, Tk28.09 lakh in banks and a jeep car worth Tk80 lakh in her possessions, ACC findings added.
Quader has amassed huge wealth in his own name and anonymously in countries like Singapore, UK and Australia, ACC alleged.
Akhtar Hossain said that after the 2018 national elections, a total of Tk 18.10 crore was taken as bribes for the nomination of MPs in the reserved women’s seats of the Jatiya Party.
Allegedly, the primary beneficiary of this transaction was then acting chairman GM Quader.
In one instance, when the agreed payment was not made in full, Professor Masuda M Rashid Chowdhury was temporarily suspended from her party position and GM Quader’s wife, Sharifa Quader, was appointed in her place.
He further stated that GM Quader fraudulently assumed the role of Jatiya Party chairman and amassed a significant amount of money through ‘position trading’ and the nomination business, which was later laundered abroad.
Although the Jatiya Party’s central committee originally comprised 301 members, it currently includes around 600-650 individuals, which serves as evidence of ‘position trading’.
Additionally, he alleged that GM Quader has laundered money under different names in Singapore, London, and Sydney, he said.
GM Quader has been elected as lawmaker from different constituencies since 1996 and has served as the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament.
From 2009 to 2014, he held ministerial positions in the Civil Aviation and Tourism Ministry as well as the Commerce Ministry.
