Saima Wazed Resigns as WHO Regional Director Amid Fraud Probe

New Delhi (GNP): Saima Wazed, daughter of ousted Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, has resigned as the World Health Organization’s regional director for Southeast Asia, amid ongoing fraud investigations by both the UN health agency and Bangladeshi authorities.

Wazed submitted her resignation on Wednesday, nearly a year after being placed on unpaid administrative leave. The WHO confirmed that a committee had recommended her dismissal just one day before she stepped down, bringing to a head a process that had stretched on for months.

Wazed had taken office as WHO regional director in early 2024 for a five-year term. She was first placed on leave in July 2025 after Bangladesh’s Anti-Corruption Commission filed charges against her, alleging fraud and forgery. The WHO subsequently accused her of financial fraud connected to travel to China and of misrepresenting her academic qualifications, while also alleging that she had illegally acquired a plot of land in Bangladesh. Wazed has denied all of the allegations against her.

In her resignation letter to WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Wazed said she had been prevented from carrying out her responsibilities effectively and had lost confidence in the organisation’s leadership. She also pointed to the financial strain of remaining on unpaid leave for close to a year, saying her position had become untenable and that she had ultimately decided to step aside.

On the land allegation specifically, Wazed disputed the claim, saying she had acquired the property before joining the WHO and was entitled to it under Bangladeshi legislation covering the families of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the country’s founding leader and Hasina’s father.

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The WHO said Wazed’s resignation would now go before its regional committee and executive board for consideration. A spokesperson for the organisation said the case had been handled with due regard for fairness and due process, while also protecting the organisation’s interests and its ability to fulfil its mandate.

The resignation adds to the wider legal and political fallout that has followed Hasina’s ouster after a deadly uprising in Bangladesh in 2024. Several of her political allies continue to face criminal cases, while Hasina herself remains in exile.

For continuity, the WHO said Dr Nilesh Buddha would continue serving as officer-in-charge of the Southeast Asia regional office until a new regional director is appointed. According to earlier reports, the organisation plans to begin accepting nominations for the position in October, with elections expected to follow in January.