The Anti-Corruption Commission has approved a chargesheet against Saima Wazed, daughter of the ousted former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, on charges of fabricating information in her curriculum vitae to secure the position of the World Health Organization South-East Asia regional director.
Commission Secretary Md. Saidur Rahman Khan announced the decision to approve the formal chargesheet during a media briefing on Sunday (March 30), highlighting the culmination of an extensive inquiry into the high-profile appointment.
According to the anti-graft body's investigation, Saima Wazed allegedly incorporated false and fictitious credentials into her resume by claiming she served as an honorary specialist and expert at the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, currently designated as the Bangladesh Medical University. Investigators revealed that she falsely claimed experience in teaching, drafting, and reviewing educational manuals during her application process in 2023, assertions that were entirely unsupported by institutional records.
The charges further detail that Saima Wazed was appointed as the chairperson of the National Advisory Committee on Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders in 2017 through the Health Services Division of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Investigators found that she leveraged her official capacity while holding this advisory role to populate her application credentials, ultimately utilizing the falsified resume to secure the prestigious international post through the abuse of power.
The inquiry uncovered that the fraudulent application materials were systematically pushed through diplomatic channels, with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs exerting pressure to advance the recruitment process. These false particulars were subsequently channeled to the World Health Organization headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, via the Permanent Mission of Bangladesh, United Nations offices, and various international agencies, ultimately facilitating her appointment.
Anti-Corruption Commission officials emphasized that submitting fraudulent credentials and misusing state authority severely tarnished the international reputation of the nation. Consequently, charges have been brought against her under sections 420, 468, and 471 of the Penal Code alongside section 5(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act of 1947. Prior to this development, the anti-graft agency filed two separate cases against Saima Wazed on Thursday, March 20, 2025, concerning the fraudulent World Health Organization appointment and allegations of coercing twenty commercial banks into disbursing thirty-three crore Baka under the banner of the Shuchona Foundation.
