ACC approves charge sheet against Saima Wazed over false CV for WHO post

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has approved the filing of a charge sheet against Saima Wazed Putul, daughter of ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina, over allegations that she provided false information in her curriculum vitae (CV) to secure the post of World Health Organization (WHO) regional director for South-East Asia.

ACC Secretary Md Saidur Rahman Khan disclosed the decision to journalists at a briefing on Sunday.

According to the ACC investigation, Saima allegedly falsely claimed in her CV that she had worked as an “honorary specialist/expert” at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), now known as Bangladesh Medical University. The commission alleges that she used this information to obtain the WHO appointment.

The investigation also alleges that she carried out the activities while serving as chairperson of the National Advisory Committee on Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders and the Suchona Foundation. The ACC said she had tarnished the country’s reputation by providing false information in her CV and abusing her power.

According to the investigation, pressure was exerted to advance the appointment process based on the information in her CV, without allowing the relevant documents to be properly prepared and the claims to be verified through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The information was subsequently sent to WHO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, through Bangladesh’s permanent mission to the United Nations and other international organisations, the investigation found. The ACC alleges that the submissions helped secure her appointment.

A case over the allegations was filed at the ACC’s Dhaka Integrated District Office-1 on March 20, 2025.

Saima took office as WHO regional director for South-East Asia in February 2024 following her nomination and appointment through the organisation’s governing process.

Her tenure later came under scrutiny amid investigations into allegations involving financial misconduct, academic qualifications and a land allocation in Bangladesh. She was placed on administrative leave before resigning in September 2026.