Putul steps aside from WHO role amid scandal
Staff Reporter :
Saima Wazed, popularly known as Putul and the daughter of deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, has been placed on indefinite leave from her role as Regional Director of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) South-East Asia Regional Office (SEARO), effective from Friday, following serious allegations of fraud, forgery, and abuse of power.
The move comes four months after Bangladesh’s Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed two separate cases against Wazed, who officially assumed the WHO role in January 2024.
The cases accuse her of submitting forged academic credentials and misrepresenting her professional experience during the application process for the high-level UN post.
The decision was confirmed by WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in an internal email to staff. In Wazed’s absence, WHO Assistant Director-General Dr Catharina Boehme will serve as Officer-in-Charge of the SEARO position.
Wazed, a clinical psychologist and daughter of former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, is alleged to have cited false academic qualifications and claimed an honorary role at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University – an affiliation the university has since denied.
These actions, according to the ACC, constitute violations under Sections 468 and 471 of the Bangladesh Penal Code, which deal with forgery and the use of forged documents.
The ACC also alleges that Wazed used her influence to raise approximately USD 2.8 million from local banks in the name of the Shuchona Foundation, a non-profit she previously chaired.
Her appointment to the WHO role had already drawn criticism amid concerns that political influence had played a role in securing her election.
In Dhaka, the interim government has welcomed WHO’s decision. Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam said in a Facebook post on Saturday that the move represents “an important first step towards accountability.”
He added, “The people of Bangladesh and the international community are encouraged to see a reflection of transparency, integrity, and justice.”
Alam further remarked that a permanent resolution is needed – one that involves Wazed’s formal removal from the position, revocation of associated privileges, and restoration of ethical standards within the United Nations system.
The WHO has yet to issue an official public statement beyond the internal communication shared with staff.