United News of Bangladesh

National Board of Revenue (NBR) on Monday scrapped two SROs related to tax waivers granted to the Shuchona Foundation, a non-profit and voluntary organisation run by Saima Wazed Putul, daughter of deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina. The Foundation was founded by former prime minister Sheikh Hasina's daughter Saima Wazed Putul. The two SROs were issued on April 6, 2016 and June 19, 2013. Putul’s Shuchona Foundation has no registered address: ACC The move of the revenue collecting authority came at a time when the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), after the change of Awami League regime, initiated a legal enforcement operation following allegations of misappropriation of state funds through irregularities and corruption by the foundation’s president and several others. On Wednesday they said that the Shuchona Foundation has no registered address and its illegal activities have been revealed. To investigate the tax exemptions granted to Shuchona Foundation, the team obtained relevant Statutory Regulatory Orders (SROs) from the National Board of Revenue (NBR). Upon review, the ACC team found preliminary evidence that the foundation had been exempted from paying income tax on all its earnings, including interest from permanent and savings bank deposits, consultancy fees, and research fees since 2016. Shuchona Foundation receives Tk 10 lakh as donation The ACC revealed that Saima Wazed, the Regional Director of the World Health Organization (WHO) for South-East Asia, had inaccurately provided information regarding her eligibility when she was nominated for the position, as she was a Canadian citizen at the time. The ACC also said that there are credible corruption allegations against her. According to the ACC, Saima Wazed allegedly misused her influence to secure financial benefits for the Shuchona Foundation, receiving gifts and funds from various social and business institutions. The ACC sources further claimed that Saima exerted undue influence over the NBR to secure tax exemptions for the foundation’s entitled funds. Earlier, on November 24, the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU), the financial intelligence wing of the Central Bank, had ordered the freezing of the bank accounts of Shuchona Foundation. Association of Koreans to donate Tk 10 lakh to Shuchona Foundation It received crores of taka in donations from the country's top business conglomerates. Founded in 2014, Saima Wazed Putul, along with three other trustees — Muzharul Mannan, Md Shamshuzzman, and Zain Bari Rizvi — oversee the Shuchona Foundation, an organisation dedicated to supporting individuals with mental disabilities, neurological disorders, autism, and mental health challenges. Putul currently serves as the regional director for Southeast Asia at the World Health Organisation (WHO). Following the fall of the Awami League government on 5 August last year, several cases have been filed against her over various irregularities and corruption allegations.

In a gesture to boost up the motivation of children with special needs, Shuchona Foundation chairperson Saima Wazed posed for a picture, clad in a sharee hand-painted by them. The move was praised on social media and the photo went viral. "Our Chairperson is wearing a sharee today which is hand-painted by students of PFDA-Vocational Training Center," read the post by the foundation along with the picture. Read more: Shuchona Foundation receives Tk 10 lakh as donation "PFDA-VTC is a legally registered non-profit social welfare organization in Bangladesh that provides learning opportunities and promotes methods to empower young adults with autism and developmental disorders, giving them the scope to enhance their potential and take part in mainstream society," it added. Saima Wazed is a licensed school psychologist, an advisor to the Director-General of WHO on mental health and autism, and CVF's Thematic Ambassador for Vulnerability. Currently, she is an instructor and Clinic Supervisor at Adrian Dominican School of Education (ADSOE), Barry University, USA. Read more: National Mental Health Strategy 2020-2030: Towards ensuring quality mental healthcare She is equipped with a long track record of taking initiatives towards a more inclusive society by spreading knowledge about autism.

Autism expert and Shuchona Foundation Chair Saima Wazed Hossain Friday announced the publication of "Pracheer Periye," the Bangla translation of Dr Stephen Shore's book "Beyond the Wall: Personal Experiences with Autism and Asperger Syndrome." She made the announcement in a video posted by the Shuchona Foundation on its Facebook page on the occasion of World Autism Awareness Day 2021 that falls on April 2. Saima is a licenced school psychologist, an advisor to the director-general of WHO on mental health and autism. Also read: Researchers 'successfully test' drug for children with autism "It is a newly translated book. I hope you all will read it," Saima, granddaughter of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and daughter of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, said. The book vividly brings out the myriad of challenges faced by Dr Shore as a person "on the spectrum." Shuchona Foundation will make fresh announcements shortly on the availability of "Pracheer Periye" in selective outlets. Acknowledging that not the two persons on the spectrum are the same, the book is helpful and gives an understanding of the life of a person with ASD. Dr Shore is a renowned self-advocate who was diagnosed with autism as a child. His autobiographical account gives a rare, detailed, and warm insight into the life of someone with Asperger syndrome. Also read: 50,500 children with autism in country: Zahid Maleque Shuchona Foundation hoped that "Pracheer Periye" will help further this understanding among Bengali readers at home and abroad. It will enable Bengali readers to get a glimpse of the inspiration and energy reflected in "Beyond the Wall," empowering readers to face their challenges without fear and compromise, the foundation said. "The book is a must-read for those who want to understand what it takes to fit in a complex, fast-paced, complicated world."

President of Association of Koreans in Bangladesh Ryu Yong-O and South Korean Ambassador to Bangladesh Lee Jang-keun on Thursday visited Shuchona Foundation and handed over a donation of Tk 10 lakh to its Vice Chairperson Prof Pran Gopal Datta.

South Korean Ambassador to Bangladesh Lee Jang-keun and Association of Koreans in Bangladesh President Ryu Yong-O on Monday held a virtual meeting with Shuchona Foundation Chairperson Saima Wazed Hossain and conveyed Association's donation plan of Tk 10 lakh.

A series of webinars involving young minds and policymakers will be held under ‘Let's Talk’ programme from September 4 to 6 to discuss ways for faster economic recovery in the post-COVID-19 era.