Putul quits WHO post
Saima Wazed has resigned as the World Health Organization’s regional director for Southeast Asia amid investigations by Bangladesh and the WHO into allegations of fraud and forgery.
Wazed submitted her resignation on Wednesday, according to her resignation letter cited by Reuters.
Wazed, the daughter of ousted former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina, has been under investigation over allegations involving financial fraud, misrepresentation of academic credentials and the illegal acquisition of a plot of land in Bangladesh. She has denied the allegations.
Wazed took office as WHO’s Southeast Asia regional director in early 2024 for a five-year term.
The organisation placed her on unpaid administrative leave in July 2025, after Bangladesh’s Anti-Corruption Commission filed charges against her in March that year over allegations of fraud and forgery.
According to a July 3, 2026 letter from Wazed’s lawyers to the WHO, the organisation accused her of committing financial fraud in connection with a trip to China and of misrepresenting her academic credentials. Wazed denied both allegations.
In her resignation letter to WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Wazed also said the organisation had accused her of illegally acquiring a plot of land in Bangladesh.
She said she had acquired the land before joining the WHO and was legally entitled to own it under a Bangladeshi law applicable to members of the family of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the country’s independence leader and her maternal grandfather.
In her resignation letter, Wazed said she had been elected to serve the countries in the Southeast Asia region and had carried out her responsibilities sincerely.
She alleged, however, that the WHO leadership had repeatedly prevented her from effectively performing her duties.
Wazed also said she had received no remuneration for nearly a year after being placed on unpaid leave, leaving her in an untenable financial situation.
She said the experience had also caused her to lose trust and confidence in the WHO leadership.
“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 in the letter.
“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.
WHO was planning to remove her Two sources had earlier told Reuters that the WHO was preparing to formally remove Wazed from the post.
According to the sources, the organisation could call for nominations for the position on October 12, vet applications in December and hold an election on January 24. The sources spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.
Regional directors play a key role in the WHO’s response to disease outbreaks and health emergencies and in adapting the organisation’s policies to local conditions.
The Southeast Asia region includes countries such as Bangladesh and India. Regional directors are elected by member states for five-year terms.
Wazed denies travel fraud In the July letter, Wazed also denied the allegation of travel-related fraud.
She said the issue involved a $901 reimbursement claim and resulted from an administrative error by an assistant who was processing routine reimbursement requests.
On the allegation concerning her academic credentials, Wazed said she had received an honorary doctorate in recognition of her work on autism in Bangladesh.
She said she had also been transparent with WHO Director-General Tedros about the qualification.
Wazed declined to provide further comment to Reuters.
The WHO did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment. Last month, the organisation said Wazed was on leave but declined to provide further details, citing confidentiality.
