Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 31, 2026

Saima Wazed

Saima Wazed, also known as Putul, is a U.S. licensed school psychologist and the daughter of Bangladesh's former prime minister Sheikh Hasina. In 2024, she became the South East Asian regional director for the World Health Organization in spite of lacking public health experience and in the face of nepotism charges. In 2025, she was placed on indefinite leave from the WHO for providing false information about her academic qualifications.

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Saima Wazed Putul
সায়মা ওয়াজেদ পুতুল
Wazed in 2024
Born (1972-12-09) 9 December 1972
Dhaka, Bangladesh
Other namePutul
Alma materBarry University
Spouse
Khandker Mashroor Hossain
​
​
(m. 1995; div. 2021)​
Children4
Parents
RelativesSheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib (grandmother)
Sajeeb Wazed (brother)
FamilySee Tungipara Sheikh family
Criminal information
Criminal charge
Corruption
Penalty
5 years jail1
Wanted by
Bangladesh
Wanted since2025

Saima Wazed (Bengali: সায়মা ওয়াজেদ; born 9 December 1972),2 also known as Putul (Bengali: পুতুল), is a U.S. licensed school psychologist and the daughter of Bangladesh's former prime minister Sheikh Hasina. In 2024, she became the South East Asian regional director for the World Health Organization3 in spite of lacking public health experience and in the face of nepotism charges.4 In 2025, she was placed on indefinite leave from the WHO for providing false information about her academic qualifications.

In 2025, Bangladesh's Anti-Corruption Commission filed two cases against Wazed alleging she falsified her academic credentials to secure her position and misused her influence to obtain approximately $2.8 million from banks for the Shuchona Foundation, which she previously led. In November 2025, she was sentenced to 5 years in jail for the Purbachal scam cases in her hometown Dhaka.

Early life and education

Wazed was born into a prominent Bangladeshi family to Sheikh Hasina, the former prime minister of Bangladesh, and M. A. Wazed Miah, a nuclear scientist, in Dhaka, Bangladesh.5 Her brother is Sajeeb Wazed Joy.67 She graduated from Barry University, a private Catholic University in Florida.8 As of 2011 she was a U.S. licensed school psychologist.9

Career

Saima Wazed, Michelle Obama, Sheikh Hasina and Barack Obama in New York, September 2009 source ↗

Wazed organized the first South Asian conference on Autism in 2011 in Dhaka, Bangladesh.10 As of 2015, she was the chairperson of National Advisory Committee on Autism and Neurodevelopmental disorders.11 She campaigned for "Comprehensive and Coordinated Efforts for the Management of Autism Spectrum Disorders" resolution at the World Health Assembly, which adopted the resolution, and in 2016 Autism Speaks praised her for spearheading "a truly global push for support for this resolution".12 She had been drafted as a global autism advocate of World Health Organization's (WHO) 25-member Expert Advisory Panel on mental health for 4 years in 2014.13 That same year she founded the non profit Shuchona Foundation for people with disabilities, which in 2025 was shown to "embezzle state money by showing fake projects".14

In November, 2016, Wazed was elected as chairperson of International Jury Board meeting of UNESCO for Digital Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities.15

In April 2017, Wazed was designated as "WHO Champion for Autism" in South-East Asia.16 In July, 2017 she became the WHO's goodwill ambassador for autism in the South-East Asia Region.171819

From 2022-2024, Wazed was a member of the Commission for Universal Health convened by Chatham House.20 In 2024, she became the South East Asian regional director for the World Health Organization,21 even though she is not public health qualified and had no public health experience. Her victory was seen as result of interstate politics and graft22 as well as nepotism.4 In September 2024, she attended the 79th United Nations General Assembly, New York, and made a speech about improving the global inefficiencies as Emergency, Conflict and Climate Crisis Situations and their physical and psychological impacts on adults and children.23 On 11 July 2025, she was placed on indefinite leave from the WHO for providing false information about her academic qualifications during the nomination process.24

In November 2025, she was sentenced to 5 years in jail for the Purbachal scam cases in her hometown Dhaka. It involved corruption in plot allocations by the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakhya (RAJUK) in Dhaka’s Purbachal New Town Project.2526

Controversies

In 2025, Bangladesh's Anti-Corruption Commission filed two cases against Wazed alleging she falsified her academic credentials to secure her position and misused her influence to obtain approximately $2.8 million from banks for the Shuchona Foundation, which she previously led. These allegations followed earlier claims that her mother, former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, improperly influenced Wazed's 2023 election to the WHO role.27 In April 2025, Wazed's flat in Gulshan was seized by the Anti-Corruption Commission.28

The allegations that led to her suspension at WHO involve potential violations of Sections 468 and 471 of the Bangladesh Penal Code, which pertain to forgery and the use of forged documents.29 The Telegraph reported 14 July 2025 that she forged documents and defalcated 2.7M dollars through a non-profit foundation named Shuchona Foundation, which is chaired by herself.30

Awards

In 2016, Wazed was conferred World Health Organization's South-East Asia Region Award for Excellence in Public Health.31 In 2017, she was awarded the International Champion Award for her outstanding contribution to the field of autism. She received a distinguished alumni award from Barry University for her activism.83233

Personal life

Wazed was married to Khandakar Masrur Hossain Mitu, son of Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain.34 The couple have four children.3536 They got divorced in 2021.3738

References

References

  1. "Hasina, Joy, Putul jailed in Purbachal scam cases". www.thedailystar.net. The Daily Star. 27 November 2025. Retrieved 7 February 2026.
  2. "Sheikh Hasina's 70th birthday today". The Independent. Dhaka. Archived from the original on 17 April 2021. Retrieved 20 April 2018.
  3. সায়মা ওয়াজেদকে ছুটিতে পাঠিয়েছে ডব্লিউএইচও: হেলথ পলিসি ওয়াচ. Prothom Alo (in Bengali). 2025-07-12. Retrieved 2025-07-12.
  4. "Despite Nepotism Charges, Bangladeshi PM's Daughter Wins WHO South East Office Election". The Wire. Retrieved 2024-02-21.
  5. "Autism campaigner Putul listens to the troubles of people with disabilities, stresses on inclusive development". bdnews24.com. 9 August 2015. Retrieved 11 February 2016.
  6. "India to give Bangladesh $1bn line of credit". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 23 May 2018. Retrieved 11 February 2016.
  7. Bangladesh Country Study Guide Strategic Information and Developments. Intl Business Pubns USA. 2012. p. 125. ISBN 978-1438773896.
  8. "Saima Wazed Putul gets Distinguished Alumni award from Barry University". bdnews24.com. 26 February 2015. Retrieved 11 February 2016.
  9. Islam Hasib, Nurul (2 September 2015). "Disability campaigner Putul congratulates Bangladesh team, says they make nation proud". bdnews24.com. Retrieved 11 February 2016.
  10. "Saima Wazed Hossain says autism campaign will not lose steam". bdnews24.com. 17 August 2015. Retrieved 11 February 2016.
  11. "Saima Wazed: Comprehensive approach required for disability issues". Dhaka Tribune. Archived from the original on 15 February 2016. Retrieved 11 February 2016.
  12. "Resolution brings formal commitment to action on developmental disabilities by more than 50 countries". autismspeaks.org. Archived from the original on 25 June 2018. Retrieved 11 February 2016.
  13. Hossain Shaikh, Emran. "Putul made WHO adviser". Dhaka Tribune. Archived from the original on 15 February 2016. Retrieved 11 February 2016.
  14. bdnews24.com (2025-01-29). "'No proof' found of Shuchona Foundation run by Hasina's daughter Putul: ACC". ‘No proof’ found of Putul’s Shuchona Foundation: ACC. Retrieved 2026-07-22.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  15. "Saima Wazed elected chairperson of International Jury Board meeting of UNESCO". The Daily Star. 10 November 2016. Archived from the original on 17 June 2017. Retrieved 28 July 2017.
  16. "Saima Wazed new WHO champion for autism - Dhakatribune". Dhaka Tribune. 2 April 2017. Archived from the original on 2017-07-30. Retrieved 2017-07-27.
  17. "Saima Wazed made WHO goodwill ambassador for autism". The Daily Star. Archived from the original on 2023-02-07. Retrieved 2017-07-12.
  18. "WHO appoints Saima Wazed as Goodwill Ambassador". The Financial Express (Bangladesh). Archived from the original on 30 July 2017. Retrieved 26 July 2017.
  19. "Hossain made WHO goodwill ambassador for autism in South Asia". India Today. 10 July 2017. Archived from the original on 30 July 2017. Retrieved 30 July 2017.
  20. Commission for Universal Health Archived 2022-06-24 at the Wayback Machine Chatham House.
  21. "Ms Saima Wazed takes charge as Regional Director, WHO South-East Asia". World Health Organization. 2024-01-02. Retrieved 2024-02-21.
  22. Shetty, Disha (November 7, 2023). "Saima Wazed Elected WHO South-East Asia Regional Director Despite Corruption Claims - Health Policy Watch". Retrieved 2026-07-22.
  23. "Emergency, Conflict and Climate Crisis Situations". World Health Organization. 25 September 2024.
  24. "Controversial WHO Regional Director Placed On Indefinite Leave". Health Policy Watch. 2025-07-11. Retrieved 2025-07-12.
  25. "Hasina, Joy, Putul convicted for corruption in plot allotment; how many years each". Prothom Alo. 27 November 2025. Retrieved 7 February 2026.
  26. "Purbachal plot corruption cases: Hasina gets 21 years, Joy and Putul also handed jail terms". Dhaka Tribune. 27 November 2025. Retrieved 7 February 2026.
  27. "WHO Regional Director Saima Wazed Accused of Fraud and Forgery by Bangladesh Authorities - Health Policy Watch". 22 March 2025.
  28. "Court orders seizure of Saima Wazed's Gulshan flat". Bdnews24.com. Retrieved 2025-04-29.
  29. "WHO's Saima Wazed Putul 'placed on indefinite leave' amid corruption allegations: Health Policy Watch". The Business Standard. 2025-07-12. Retrieved 2025-07-12.
  30. Newey, Sarah (14 July 2025). "WHO regional head placed on leave amid corruption allegations". The Telegraph.
  31. "Saima Wazed wins WHO award". The Daily Star. Archived from the original on 15 February 2016. Retrieved 11 February 2016.
  32. "Saima Wazed awarded for fighting autism". The Daily Star. 26 July 2017. Archived from the original on 2017-07-26. Retrieved 2017-07-26.
  33. "Saima received International Champion award for work on autism in South-East-Asia". bdnews24.com. Archived from the original on 2017-11-09. Retrieved 2017-07-26.
  34. "Son's & Daughters of Bangladeshi Political Leaders". parisvisionnews.com. Archived from the original on 11 February 2016. Retrieved 11 February 2016.
  35. "Saima Wazed Hossain bio" (PDF). UNESCO. Archived (PDF) from the original on 7 February 2023. Retrieved 26 July 2017.
  36. "Hasina's daughter Putul gives birth to daughter". Bdnews24.com. Archived from the original on 2018-06-28. Retrieved 2017-08-03.
  37. "Putul's secret divorce deal". Times of Bangladesh. 10 July 2026. Archived from the original on 10 July 2026. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
  38. "বিবাহবিচ্ছেদে যা পেয়েছিলেন শেখ হাসিনা কন্যা পুতুল". Daily Shomoyer Alo (in Bengali). 10 July 2026. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
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