Sheikh Hasina's daughter quits WHO amid fraud allegations

Saima Wazed, daughter of ousted Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, resigned as WHO Southeast Asia regional director amid fraud investigations by Bangladeshi authorities and the UN agency. Wazed, who denies the allegations, had been on unpaid leave since 2025.The WHO also accused Wazed of illegally acquiring a plot of land in Bangladesh. (Photo: X/drSaimaWazed)Saima Wazed, the World Health Organisation's (WHO) Southeast Asia regional director and daughter of ousted Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, resigned from her post on Wednesday amid fraud investigations by the UN health agency and Bangladeshi authorities, Reuters reported, citing her resignation letter.Wazed, who began a five-year term as WHO's Southeast Asia regional director in early 2024, had been on unpaid administrative leave since last year. Her resignation comes amid allegations concerning financial fraud, her academic credentials and the acquisition of a plot of land in Bangladesh.According to Reuters, Wazed submitted her resignation to WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Wednesday.LOST CONFIDENCE IN WHO LEADERSHIP: WAZEDIn her resignation letter, seen by Reuters, Wazed said she had decided to step down after being prevented from effectively carrying out her responsibilities. "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, according to Reuters.She also said she had lost "all trust and confidence" in Tedros' leadership and cited the financial impact of being placed on unpaid leave. Wazed said that after nearly a year without remuneration, her financial situation had become untenable and that she had therefore decided to step aside.INVESTIGATIONS INTO FRAUD, CREDENTIALSWazed was first placed on leave in July 2025 after Bangladesh's Anti-Corruption Commission, operating under the interim government that replaced Hasina, filed charges against her in March 2025 alleging fraud and forgery.Reuters reported that a separate letter from Wazed's lawyers to the WHO, dated July 3, 2026, said the organisation had accused her of financial fraud related to travel to China and of misrepresenting her academic credentials.Wazed has denied the allegations.According to Reuters, she said the travel issue involved $901 and was the result of an administrative oversight by an assistant handling routine reimbursement requests.On the academic credentials issue, Wazed said she holds an honorary doctorate for her work on autism in Bangladesh and had been transparent with Tedros about the qualification.She declined to comment further, while the WHO did not immediately respond to a request for comment, Reuters reported.LAND ACQUISITION ALSO UNDER SCRUTINYThe WHO also accused Wazed of illegally acquiring a plot of land in Bangladesh, according to her resignation letter seen by Reuters.Wazed denied wrongdoing, saying she had acquired the land before joining the WHO. She said she was entitled to the property under a Bangladeshi law covering families of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Bangladesh's founding leader and Hasina's father.Her case comes amid a broader reckoning involving members and allies of Hasina's government following her ouster after a deadly uprising in Bangladesh in 2024.Several of Hasina's political allies have faced criminal cases, including allegations of corruption, while Hasina has been living in self-imposed exile.WHO MAY HOLD FRESH ELECTIONTwo sources told Reuters that the WHO was preparing to formally remove Wazed from her position before her resignation.One source said the organisation was expected to announce nominations for the regional director's post on October 12, vet applications in December and hold elections on January 24.The sources spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.Regional directors are among the WHO's senior health policy officials, overseeing responses to disease outbreaks and emergencies and adapting the organisation's policies to regional conditions.They are elected every five years by member states in their respective regions, including Bangladesh and India in the Southeast Asia region.- EndsWith Reuters inputsPublished By: Karishma Saurabh KalitaPublished On: Sep 10, 2026 09:35 IST