Shuchona Foundation received multi-crore donations from S Alam, Beximco, PK Halder
Prashanta Kumar Halder, also known as PK Halder, was accused of embezzling millions from several financial institutions in Bangladesh
Shuchona Foundation, a non-profit founded by Saima Wazed Putul, daughter of ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina, received crores of taka in donations from the country's top business conglomerates, including S Alam and Beximco, as well as from PK Halder, a controversial figure accused of massive financial embezzlement.
Prashanta Kumar Halder, also known as PK Halder, was accused of embezzling millions from several financial institutions in Bangladesh.
Other donors of the Shuchona Foundation include Confidence Group, Meghna Group, Summit Group, and United Group, according to an internal Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) report seen by TBS.
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In November last year, the BFIU ordered banks to freeze the foundation's accounts over suspicious transactions.
According to the BFIU report, the foundation received Tk179 crore in deposits from various sources so far, of which Tk114 crore has already been spent and Tk65 crore remains frozen currently. The funds came from Islami Bank and Union Bank, both controlled by S Alam Group during the Awami League's tenure.
Additionally, deposits were made by Pran Gopal Datta, a former ruling party (Awami League) lawmaker and former VC of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University.
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.
However, during a raid on Wednesday [29 January], the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) said it had not found any existence of the foundation at its listed address in the capital's Dhanmondi.
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.
The ACC has also lodged a case against Putul for allegedly "concealing information and abusing power" in the acquisition of government plots in Purbachal.
The Sheikh family members including Sheikh Hasina, her sister Sheikh Rehana, and son Sajeeb Wazed Joy are facing multiple cases over similar allegations.
