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Saima Wazed, daughter of former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina, has resigned as the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Regional Director for South-East Asia amid allegations of financial fraud and misrepresentation of her academic credentials, Reuters reported.
Wazed submitted her resignation to WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Wednesday, saying she had lost trust and confidence in the organisation’s leadership.
She also cited financial difficulties after being placed on unpaid leave for nearly a year.
The WHO had placed Wazed on unpaid administrative leave after Bangladesh’s Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed cases against her in 2025.
The allegations included financial fraud linked to a trip to China and misrepresentation of her academic qualifications.
According to documents reviewed by Reuters, the WHO also raised allegations concerning the acquisition of a plot of land in Bangladesh.
Wazed rejected the allegations, saying the land was acquired before she joined the WHO and that she was legally entitled to it under a law applicable to the families of Bangladesh’s independence leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
Wazed also denied the travel-related fraud allegation, saying an assistant had made an administrative error while processing a routine reimbursement involving $901.
Regarding her academic credentials, she said she held an honorary doctorate for her work on autism and had disclosed the qualification to Tedros.
Wazed took charge as WHO South-East Asia regional director in early 2024 for a five-year term.
Her resignation comes as the WHO prepares to begin the process of selecting a new regional director, with nominations expected in October and an election scheduled for January, according to sources cited by Reuters.
