Bangladesh: Charge sheet filed against Salma Wazed

Bangladesh’s Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has filed a charge sheet against Saima Wazed, daughter of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, over allegations of submitting false information in her application for the post of Regional Director for South-East Asia at the World Health Organization (WHO).
According to the investigation, Wazed allegedly claimed to have worked as an honorary specialist or expert at Bangladesh Medical University. Investigators alleged that the credentials were used to secure the WHO position and that pressure was exerted to forward supporting documents through official channels without proper verification. The inquiry found that she used the information to obtain the WHO position through abuse of power, allegedly tarnishing the country’s reputation.
ACC Secretary disclosed this in a media briefing. The case was filed at the ACC’s Dhaka-1 Integrated District Office on March 20 last year. The charges invoke several provisions of Bangladesh’s Penal Code and the Prevention of Corruption Act. The allegations remain subject to judicial proceedings.
The commission also alleged that she exerted pressure to have the CV forwarded to the WHO headquarters in Geneva through Bangladesh’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations and other international organisations in Geneva, via the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, without opening the required official file or allowing adequate verification. She subsequently secured the position using that information, the investigation report alleged.