Saima Wazed, daughter of ousted Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, has resigned as the World Health Organization’s Southeast Asia regional director amid fraud and forgery investigations by the UN agency and Bangladeshi authorities.
Wazed’s resignation came after she was placed on unpaid administrative leave by the WHO last year. She had taken charge as regional director in early 2024 for a five-year term.
In her resignation letter to WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, sent on Wednesday, Wazed said she had “lost all trust and confidence” in his leadership after being prevented from carrying out her duties.
“I was elected to the position of Regional Director in order to serve the countries in my region, which I had sincerely done,”
Wazed said in her resignation letter to Tedros. “Since you continue to prevent me from effectively carrying out my duties, I have lost all trust and confidence in your leadership of WHO.”
“Moreover, 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,” she added.
Allegations And Wazed’s Defence
Wazed was first placed on leave in July 2025 after Bangladesh’s Anti-Corruption Commission filed charges against her in March that year alleging fraud and forgery.
According to a letter from her lawyers to the WHO, the agency accused Wazed of financial fraud linked to travel to China and of misrepresenting her academic credentials. Wazed has denied the allegations.
She said the travel issue involved an administrative error by an assistant handling routine reimbursement requests and concerned $901.
On the academic credentials allegation, Wazed said she holds an honorary doctorate for her work on autism in Bangladesh and had been transparent with Tedros about the qualification.
The WHO also alleged that she had illegally acquired a plot of land in Bangladesh. Wazed said she obtained the property before joining the WHO and was entitled to it under Bangladeshi law covering the families of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, her grandfather and Bangladesh’s founding leader.
WHO May Hold Fresh Election
The resignation comes amid reports that the WHO was preparing to remove Wazed formally.
Two sources told Reuters that the agency could begin the process of selecting her successor, with nominations expected in October, applications to be vetted in December and elections potentially held on January 24.
The WHO did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Last month, it confirmed that Wazed remained on leave but declined to discuss her case, citing confidentiality.
Wazed’s resignation comes amid the wider political fallout from Hasina’s ouster following a deadly uprising in Bangladesh in 2024. Several of Hasina’s allies have faced criminal and corruption-related cases, while the former prime minister remains in self-imposed exile.
(With inputs from Reuters)
