Happy Birthday to Saima Wazed Hossain, a person whose personal accomplishments often get overshadowed because she is the daughter of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, one of the most successful women leaders of the world.
However, I would say her achievements has now put her in a position that it would be unfair not to identify her as her own person first. Saima Apa is, among others, a licensed School Psychologist, nationally certified in the United States, and a specialist in Clinical Psychology.... moreHappy Birthday to Saima Wazed Hossain, a person whose personal accomplishments often get overshadowed because she is the daughter of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, one of the most successful women leaders of the world.
However, I would say her achievements has now put her in a position that it would be unfair not to identify her as her own person first. Saima Apa is, among others, a licensed School Psychologist, nationally certified in the United States, and a specialist in Clinical Psychology.
A graduate from Barry University in Florida, she is an expert on neurodevelopmental disorders and mental health, and an accomplished speaker whose efforts has led to international awareness, policy and program changes, and the adoption of three international resolutions at the United Nations and World Health Organization.
She is the Vice Chairperson of the not-for-profit policy think-tank CRI, and the Chairperson of the not-for-profit advocacy, research and capacity-building organization Shuchona Foundation. She is also performing a number of other roles at the national and international levels includig, but not limited to, being:
- The Chairperson of the Bangladesh National Advisory Committee for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders,
- A Member of the World Health Organization (WHO)’s Expert Advisory Panel on Mental Health;
- The Focal Person for Disability for the Ministry of Disaster Management and Planning, Government of Bangladesh;
- An Advisor to the Director General, WHO on Mental Health and Autism;
- The Chief Advisor for the National Mental Health Strategic Plan Working Group.
Previously, she was the WHO’s Goodwill Ambassador for Autism in the South East Asia Region and was chosen as WHO’s regional champion for autism in South Asia.
A mother of three daughters and one son, Saima Apa also writes regularly for specialist and international publications on a range of mental health and disability issues. As a result, she has built a reputation around Asia and the world at large as a serious and top policy specialist on broader mental health and disability issues.
By the way, she is also the daughter of Hon. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the granddaughter of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
