The ACC has requested the freezing of 14 bank accounts belonging to Putul's Shuchona Foundation

A Dhaka court has ordered the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to freeze 14 bank accounts belonging to the Shuchona Foundation, founded by Saima Wazed Putul, daughter of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, amid corruption allegations against her. The accounts hold a balance of Tk 48.35 crore.  

Judge Md Zakir Hossain Galib of the Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge's Court issued the order following a petition by the ACC. According to the ACC, Putul was appointed as the WHO’s regional director with the alleged involvement of her mother, bypassing established rules and ethics. The commission also claimed that she had misappropriated government funds and laundered large sums abroad using her mother's influence.  

During its preliminary inquiry, the ACC found that Putul and others associated with the foundation were attempting to transfer its movable assets. The commission warned that such actions could hinder asset recovery and justified the need for a freezing order.  

Earlier, on January 29, the ACC raided the foundation’s registered office in Dhaka’s Dhanmondi but found no office at the address. A four-member ACC team also visited the National Board of Revenue (NBR) to collect documents related to tax exemptions and financial irregularities involving the foundation.  

Initial findings revealed that since 2016, the foundation had been exempted from paying income tax on all earnings, including interest, consultancy fees, and research fees. Following the fall of the Awami League government on August 5 last year, multiple cases were filed against Putul, including an ACC case for allegedly concealing information and abusing power to acquire a plot in Purbachal.  

Established in 2014, Shuchona Foundation focuses on supporting individuals with mental disabilities, neurological disorders, autism, and mental health issues. On November 24 last year, the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) instructed banks and financial institutions to freeze the foundation's accounts.