Saima Wazed (; born 9 December 1972), also known as Putul (), is the daughter of Bangladesh's former prime minister

Sheikh Hasina Sheikh Hasina (''née'' Wazed; born 28 September 1947) is a Bangladeshi politician who served as the tenth prime minister of Bangladesh from June 1996 to July 2001 and again from January 2009 to August 2024. Premiership of Sheikh Hasina, Her ...

. She is serving as the

South East Asian Southeast Asia is the geographical southeastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of China, east of the Indian subcontinent, and northwest of the Australian mainland, which is part of Oceania. Southeast Asia is ...

regional director for the

World Health Organization The World Health Organization (WHO) is a list of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations which coordinates responses to international public health issues and emergencies. It is headquartered in Gen ...

since November 1, 2023.

Early life and education

Wazed was born to

, the former prime minister of Bangladesh, and M. A. Wazed Miah, a nuclear scientist. Her brother is Sajeeb Wazed Joy. She graduated from

Barry University Barry University is a private Catholic university in Miami Shores, Florida. Founded in 1940 by the Adrian Dominican Sisters, it is one of the largest Catholic universities in the Southeast and is located within the Archdiocese of Miami. Th ...

. She is a licensed school psychologist.

Career

Wazed organized the first South Asian conference on Autism in 2011 in Dhaka, Bangladesh. She is the chairperson of National Advisory Committee on Autism and Neurodevelopmental disorders. She campaigned for “Comprehensive and Coordinated Efforts for the Management of Autism Spectrum Disorders” resolution at the World Health Assembly which adopted the resolution,

Autism Speaks Autism Speaks Inc. is an American non-profit autism awareness organization and the largest autism research organization in the United States. It sponsors autism research and conducts awareness and outreach activities aimed at families, governm ...

praised her for spearheading "a truly global push for support for this resolution". 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. In November, 2016, Wazed had been elected as chairperson of International Jury Board meeting of

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

for Digital Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities. In April 2017, Wazed was designated as WHO Champion for Autism” in South-East Asia. In July, 2017 she became the WHO’s goodwill ambassador for autism in the South-East Asia Region. Since 2022, Wazed has been a member of the Commission for Universal Health convened by

Chatham House The Royal Institute of International Affairs, also known as Chatham House, is a British think tank based in London, England. Its stated mission is "to help governments and societies build a sustainably secure, prosperous, and just world". It ...

and co-chaired by

Helen Clark Helen Elizabeth Clark (born 26 February 1950) is a New Zealand politician who served as the 37th prime minister of New Zealand from 1999 to 2008 and was the administrator of the United Nations Development Programme from 2009 to 2017. She was ...

and

Jakaya Kikwete Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete (born 7 October 1950) is a Tanzanian politician who was the List of Presidents of Tanzania, fourth president of Tanzania, in office from 2005 to 2015. Prior to his election as president, he was the Ministry of Foreign Aff ...

. On 24 September 2024, she attended the 79th.

United Nations General Assembly The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA or GA; , AGNU or AG) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN), serving as its main deliberative, policymaking, and representative organ. Currently in its Seventy-ninth session of th ...

, 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. In 2025, Bangladesh's

Anti-Corruption Commission (Bangladesh) The Anti Corruption Commission (; ''often abbreviated:'' ACC, ) is the principal Government of Bangladesh, government agency against corruption in Bangladesh. History The Anti-Corruption Commission was formed through an act promulgated on 2 ...

has 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 follow earlier claims that her mother, former Prime Minister

, improperly influenced Wazed's 2023 election to the WHO role. In April 2025, Wazed's flat in Gulshan was seized by the Anti-Corruption Commission.

Awards

In 2016, Wazed was conferred World Health Organization's South-East Asia Region Award for Excellence in Public Health. 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.

Personal life

Wazed was married to Khandakar Masrur Hossain Mitu, son of Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain. The couple have four children.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Wazed, Saima Autism activists Bangladeshi psychologists Bangladeshi women psychologists Barry University alumni Living people World Health Organization officials Tungipara Sheikh family 1972 births Bangladeshi health activists Children of prime ministers of Bangladesh People from Pirganj Upazila, Rangpur