The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has reported that its raid on the office address of the Shuchona Foundation—an organisation headed by Saima Wazed Putul, daughter of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina—yielded no evidence of its existence.
Speaking to the media on Wednesday (29 January), ACC Deputy Director Akhtarul Islam stated that a four-member enforcement team, led by ACC Assistant Director Naushad Ali, had conducted a raid at the foundation’s Dhanmondi office.
The address had been provided by the National Board of Revenue (NBR) and the Department of Social Services. However, no operational presence of the organisation was found.
Further scrutiny of documents at the NBR unearthed financial discrepancies, including tax waivers granted to the foundation under questionable circumstances.
The ACC alleges that Putul exploited her influence to have the organisation classified as tax-free, inflicting significant financial losses on the government.
Putul, currently serving as the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Regional Director for South-East Asia, has been named in multiple legal cases following the fall of the Awami League government on 5 August.
Her mother, Hasina, has over a hundred cases filed against her since her ousting.
The ACC has specifically charged Putul with "concealing information and abuse of power" concerning the allocation of government land to her in Purbachal.
Shuchona Foundation, founded in 2014 as a voluntary, non-profit organisation, claimed to focus on intellectual and neurological disabilities, autism, and mental health. Putul served as its founder and chairperson of the board of trustees.
However, allegations now suggest the foundation was used as a conduit for illicit financial activities. In November 2023, the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) instructed banks and financial institutions to freeze its accounts.
According to the ACC, Putul orchestrated a scheme to “embezzle funds” by coercing businesses and social organisations into making donations.
The commission also asserts that she channelled state funds into fraudulent projects through the Autism Cell of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
Putul, who holds a background in clinical psychology, previously worked as a school psychologist in the United States before being appointed by Hasina as chairperson of the Bangladesh National Advisory Committee on Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders.
She was later inducted into WHO’s Expert Advisory Panel on Mental Health. In November 2023, she was elected as WHO's Regional Director for South-East Asia at its 76th Regional Committee session in New Delhi, formally assuming office in February 2024.
Both Putul and Hasina have been residing in Delhi since the political upheaval of August 2024. The ACC has alleged that Hasina improperly leveraged her position to secure her daughter’s appointment at WHO despite a lack of requisite qualifications.
It further accuses Hasina of facilitating unnecessary state-funded trips for Putul, including her inclusion in Bangladesh’s delegation to the 2023 G-20 Summit in India.
A report summarising the allegations states that Putul’s credentials are largely "superficial" and "only on paper."
The ACC highlights that, during the 76th WHO conference, over a hundred Bangladeshi officials and delegates stayed in Delhi from 30 October to 2 November 2023, in what it described as a blatant waste of state resources.
On 12 January, the ACC filed a case against Putul, Hasina, and 16 others for their involvement in the illegal allocation of government land in Purbachal New City.
The commission contends that Putul engaged in various criminal activities, exploiting her mother’s political influence to further personal and financial interests.
