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Published : 01 Sep 2025, 06:49 PM
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) will bring charges against Sheikh Hasina’s daughter Saima Wazed Putul and 34 others, over ‘embezzling’ Tk 4.48 billion through a fake organisation named Suchona Foundation.
ACC Director General Md Akhter Hossain confirmed the move on Monday, saying businessmen provided “donations” to the foundation in return for illegal favours.
The investigation began after the fall of Hasina’s government on Aug 5 last year.
On Nov 24, the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) froze the foundation’s bank accounts, and in February this year, the National Board of Revenue (NBR) revoked its tax exemption. On Jan 29, ACC raided the foundation’s office and declared it non-existent.
According to ACC findings, Putul and others registered the paper-based organisation with the NGO Affairs Bureau and the Department of Social Services.
The anti-graft watchdog says they then solicited donations as disguised bribes from individuals and companies, misappropriating the funds instead of spending them on disability welfare.
11 ACCUSED FROM SHUCHONA FOUNDATION
The accused from Shuchona Foundation are trustees Putul, Mazharul Mannan, former BCB president and MP Nazmul Hassan Papon, Saifullah Abdullah Solenkhi, Md Shamsuzzaman, Zain Bari Rizvi, Vice-Chairman Pran Gopal Datta, executive committee member Mehraj Jahan, Ruhul Haque, Shirin Zaman Munir and Helaluddin Ahmed.
EIGHT INDUSTRIALISTS NAMED
Eight industrialists have also been named: Hamid Real Estate Chairman Enthekhabul Hamid, former minister Nurul Islam, Beximco Vice-Chairman and former MP Salman F Rahman, Summit Group Chairman Aziz Khan, former MP AKM Rahmatullah, United Group Chairman Moinuddin Hasan Rashid, Meghna Group Chairman Mostafa Kamal and Buildtrade Engineering Limited Chairman and MD Enayetur Rahman.
16 NBR OFFICERS ACCUSED
The case names 16 former and current NBR officials, including former chairman Nojibur Rahman, members Mir Mustaq Ali, Chowdhury Amir Hossain, Parvez Iqbal, Farid Uddin, Firoz Shah Alam, Jahangir Hossain, Mahbubur Rahman, Lokman Chowdhury, Rezaul Hasan, Ziauddin Mahmud, Abdur Razzak, AFM Shahriar Molla, Sultan Md Iqbal, Tandra Sikder and Kalipada Halder.
According to the ACC, the accused misappropriated Tk 4.4 billion by abusing power and exploiting tax exemptions in the name of Shuchona Foundation, a merely paper-based entity.
They are also accused of evading Tk 90 million in taxes between FY2015-16 and FY2024-25.
Suspicious transactions amounting to Tk 9.3 billion were detected in 14 bank accounts under the foundation’s name, the ACC said.
On Mar 20, the ACC filed another case over Tk 330 million collected for the foundation through fraud, as well as a separate case against Putul for allegedly obtaining the WHO South-East Asia regional director post through deception.
Established in 2014 as a voluntary non-profit organisation, Shuchona Foundation works on mental and neurological disabilities, autism and mental health issues.
On Jul 12, Putul was sent on “indefinite leave” from her WHO post, according to Health Policy Watch.
She had been elected regional director at the WHO South-East Asia committee’s 76th session in New Delhi in Nov 2023, and formally assumed office in Feb 2024.
