Saima Wazed, daughter of ousted Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, has resigned as the World Health Organization’s Regional Director for Southeast Asia amid ongoing investigations into allegations of fraud and forgery by the WHO and Bangladeshi authorities.
Wazed submitted her resignation on Wednesday, according to her resignation letter seen by Reuters. She had taken charge as the WHO’s Southeast Asia regional director in early 2024 for a five-year term.
The WHO placed Wazed on unpaid administrative leave in 2025 after Bangladesh’s Anti-Corruption Commission filed charges against her alleging fraud and forgery. The WHO later accused her of “committing financial fraud in relation to her travel to China” and of misrepresenting her academic credentials. Wazed has denied the allegations.
The WHO has also alleged that Wazed illegally acquired a plot of land in Bangladesh. In her resignation letter, she disputed that allegation, saying the land had been acquired before she joined the WHO and that she was entitled to it under a Bangladeshi law covering the families of independence leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, her grandfather.
‘I have lost all trust and confidence’
Explaining her decision to resign, Wazed criticised the WHO leadership over her continued leave from office and the absence of remuneration.
“I was elected to the position of Regional Director in order to serve the countries in my region, which I had sincerely done,” Wazed wrote in her resignation letter addressed to WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
“Since you continue to prevent me from effectively carrying out my duties, I have lost all trust and confidence in your leadership of WHO,” she wrote.
“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.”
Wazed declined to comment further. The WHO did not immediately respond to a request for comment and has previously said it would not discuss the case in detail, citing confidentiality.
Wazed denies allegations
In a July 2026 letter, Wazed’s lawyers rejected the allegation of travel fraud, saying the issue involved an administrative error by an assistant handling routine reimbursement claims and amounted to $901.
She also disputed the allegation concerning her academic credentials, saying she holds an honorary doctorate for her work on autism in Bangladesh and had disclosed the qualification to Tedros.
The resignation comes against the backdrop of the political upheaval in Bangladesh following Sheikh Hasina’s ouster in 2024. Several figures associated with her government have since faced criminal or corruption-related allegations, while Hasina herself has remained outside Bangladesh.
WHO set to begin process for successor
Two sources told Reuters that the WHO had been considering formally removing Wazed from the post. One source said the organisation is expected to announce nominations for the regional director’s position on October 12, vet candidates in December and hold an election on January 24.
Regional directors are elected every five years by member states and play a key role in coordinating the WHO’s response to health emergencies and adapting global health policies to regional requirements. Bangladesh and India are among the member states in the Southeast Asia region.
