Saima Wazed Putul, the chair of Bangladesh National Advisory Committee on Autism, has received the Distinguished Alumni Award 2015 from the Barry University in Florida.
The award was handed to the daughter of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the university’s auditorium on February 19.
A high official of Gonobhaban, PM's official residence, disclosed the information to the Dhaka Tribune on Friday.
He said: “She gets the award for her distinguished professional achievements, contributions to society, and public health services in the international arena.”
The award ceremony started around 11am and ended at 2pm followed by a luncheon, read the invitation letter.
This year, four more global personalities – Mirta Fuentes, Nelson Lazo, Maria Mas Blet, and Sen ZC Allyson Maynard Gibson – received the award for their contributions to their respective fields.
Earlier on September 10, 2014, she received the World Health Organisation's (WHO) South Asia Award for Excellence in Public Health.
She had been selected for the award in recognition of her “glorious and outstanding” contributions to create awareness about autism in Bangladesh.
On June 2, 2014, Putul had been drafted a global autism advocate of World Health Organization (WHO) into its "Expert Advisory Panel" on mental health.