NN Online:
Saima Wazed Putul, the embattled Regional Director for the World Health Organization’s (WHO) South-East Asia Regional Office (SEARO), has been placed on indefinite leave effective Friday, July 11—just four months after Bangladesh’s Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed two cases against her over allegations of fraud, forgery, and abuse of power.
According to Health Policy Watch, WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus informed staff via an internal email that Putul would be going on leave, and that Assistant Director-General Dr. Catharina Boehme would step in as Officer-in-Charge during her absence.
The charges against Putul—daughter of Bangladesh’s former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who fled the country in August last year following mass protests—are tied to her controversial campaign for the SEARO role. She assumed office in January 2024 amid allegations that her mother’s political influence had helped secure her election.
The ACC launched its investigation in January, soon after her appointment. According to the commission, Putul allegedly submitted false academic information during her candidacy, violating Sections 468 and 471 of the Bangladesh Penal Code, which pertain to forgery and fraudulent document use.
She is also accused of falsely claiming an honorary position at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University—an assertion denied by the institution—presumably to strengthen her qualifications for the WHO role, as stated by ACC Deputy Director Akhtarul Islam.
Additionally, the ACC alleges that Putul misused her authority to raise approximately $2.8 million from various banks for the Shuchona Foundation, which she formerly led. The charges under Sections 420 of the Penal Code (cheating and wrongful inducement) and Section 5(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act (1947) relate to suspected misappropriation, though investigators have yet to disclose how the funds were ultimately spent.
Due to the legal cases and the threat of arrest in Bangladesh, Putul has reportedly been unable to travel within the SEARO region since the charges were filed.
