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NEW DELHI\/LONDON: \u200bSaima Wazed, the World Health Organization\u2019s Southeast Asia head and daughter of ousted Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, resigned on Wednesday, according to her resignation letter seen by Reuters, following fraud investigations by the UN agency and Bangladeshi authorities.<\/p>\n
Wazed\u2019s case shows how the fallout from Hasina\u2019s ouster following a deadly uprising against her around mid-2024 has spread to her family members, beyond her political allies. Many of Hasina\u2019s allies face criminal charges, including for alleged corruption in Bangladesh, or live in self-imposed exile like Hasina.<\/p>\n
In a statement to Reuters on Thursday, the WHO said a committee had recommended Wazed\u2019s dismissal the day before her resignation. The UN health agency had placed Wazed, who took office as its Southeast Asia regional \u200cdirector in early \u200c2024 for a five-year term, on unpaid administrative leave late last year. She was \u200bfirst \u200csent \u2060on leave \u200bin \u2060July 2025 after Bangladesh\u2019s Anti-Corruption Commission, under an interim government that replaced Hasina, filed charges against her in March that year alleging fraud and forgery.<\/p>\n
The WHO accused Wazed of \u201ccommitting financial fraud in relation to her travel to China\u201d and of misrepresenting her academic credentials, according to a separate letter from her lawyers to the WHO on July 3, 2026, seen by Reuters. Wazed has denied the allegations.<\/p>\n
The WHO also alleged she had illegally acquired a plot of land in Bangladesh, according to her resignation letter to WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. Wazed said she acquired the land before she joined the WHO and was entitled \u2060to it under a Bangladeshi law that covered the families of the country\u2019s independence leader, \u200cSheikh Mujibur Rahman, Hasina\u2019s father.<\/p>\n
Wazed says she was prevented from carrying out \u200cduties<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cI was elected to the position of Regional Director in order to \u200bserve the countries in my region, which I had \u200csincerely done,\u201d Wazed said in her resignation letter to Tedros sent late on Wednesday.<\/p>\n \u201cSince you continue to prevent me \u200cfrom effectively carrying out my duties, I have lost all trust and confidence in your leadership of WHO,\u201d she wrote. \u201cMoreover, after nearly one year without any remuneration following your decision to place me on unpaid leave, my financial situation has become untenable. In these circumstances, I am choosing to step aside.\u201d<\/p>\n Wazed declined to comment further.<\/p>\n The WHO said its regional committee and executive board would now consider \u200cher resignation. A spokesperson said by email the matter had been handled \u201cwith due regard for fairness and due process, while safeguarding the interests of the Organization and its ability \u2060to fulfil its mandate.\u201d<\/p>\n Last \u2060month, it said Wazed was on leave but declined to comment further about her case to maintain confidentiality.<\/p>\n WHO due to hold fresh elections in January, says source<\/strong><\/p>\n Two sources said earlier the UN agency was planning to formally remove Wazed. One of them said the WHO would announce nominations for the role on October 12, vet applications in December and hold elections on January 24. On Thursday, the agency said Dr. Nilesh Buddha would continue as officer-in-charge pending the appointment of a new regional head.<\/p>\n The sources declined to be named given the sensitivity of the matter.<\/p>\n Regional directors are among the world\u2019s most influential health policy officials, with their duties including responses to outbreaks and emergencies and adapting WHO policies to local conditions. They are elected every five years by member states, which include Bangladesh and India in the Southeast Asia region.<\/p>\n In the July letter, Wazed, through her lawyers, denied any travel fraud, saying it was an administrative \u200boversight by an assistant processing routine reimbursement requests and \u200binvolved $901. On the credentials accusation, she said she holds an honorary doctorate for her work on autism in Bangladesh and had been clear with Tedros about this qualification.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n