The Crossbill News Desk
Saima Wazed, the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Southeast Asia regional director and daughter of ousted Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina, has resigned from the post amid allegations of financial fraud and other irregularities.
Wazed stepped down on Wednesday (September 9), citing prolonged unpaid leave and a loss of confidence in the WHO leadership, according to Reuters.
Wazed, who assumed the regional director’s position in early 2024 for a five-year term, had been placed on unpaid administrative leave after Bangladesh’s Anti-Corruption Commission filed cases against her. The cases, initiated under the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus, accused her of fraud and forgery.
In a resignation letter sent to WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Wazed said the organisation had prevented her from performing her responsibilities and that the lack of remuneration for nearly a year had left her in an untenable financial position.
“I was elected to the position of Regional Director in order to serve the countries in my region, which I had sincerely done. Since you continue to prevent me from effectively carrying out my duties, I have lost all trust and confidence in your leadership of WHO.”
“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 said.
The allegations against Wazed include purported financial fraud linked to official travel to China and claims that she misrepresented her academic qualifications. In a letter sent to the WHO in July, her lawyers rejected the allegations. The WHO has also accused her of illegally acquiring a plot of land in Bangladesh.
Wazed has denied wrongdoing in relation to the land, saying she acquired it before joining the WHO and that she was legally entitled to it under provisions applicable to the families of Bangladesh’s independence leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, her grandfather.
Her tenure had faced controversy even before she formally assumed office. Her selection was accompanied by allegations of nepotism, with critics claiming that her mother’s political influence had helped her campaign. Questions were also raised over her academic credentials and alleged violations of Bangladesh’s penal code.
Wazed had previously sought an independent investigation into the WHO’s actions against her and reportedly complained that her placement on administrative leave had taken place without due process. She had also raised the issue with Ghebreyesus on several occasions.
According to Reuters, the WHO had already been preparing for a change in leadership. The agency is expected to invite nominations for the regional director’s post on October 12, with applications to be vetted in December and an election scheduled for January 24.
Wazed, a licensed school psychologist in the US, had been responsible for overseeing international health work across 11 countries in the WHO’s Southeast Asia region, representing a population of more than two billion people.
Wazed stepped down on Wednesday (September 9), citing prolonged unpaid leave and a loss of confidence in the WHO leadership, according to Reuters.
Wazed, who assumed the regional director’s position in early 2024 for a five-year term, had been placed on unpaid administrative leave after Bangladesh’s Anti-Corruption Commission filed cases against her. The cases, initiated under the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus, accused her of fraud and forgery.
In a resignation letter sent to WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Wazed said the organisation had prevented her from performing her responsibilities and that the lack of remuneration for nearly a year had left her in an untenable financial position.
“I was elected to the position of Regional Director in order to serve the countries in my region, which I had sincerely done. Since you continue to prevent me from effectively carrying out my duties, I have lost all trust and confidence in your leadership of WHO.”
“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 said.
The allegations against Wazed include purported financial fraud linked to official travel to China and claims that she misrepresented her academic qualifications. In a letter sent to the WHO in July, her lawyers rejected the allegations. The WHO has also accused her of illegally acquiring a plot of land in Bangladesh.
Wazed has denied wrongdoing in relation to the land, saying she acquired it before joining the WHO and that she was legally entitled to it under provisions applicable to the families of Bangladesh’s independence leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, her grandfather.
Her tenure had faced controversy even before she formally assumed office. Her selection was accompanied by allegations of nepotism, with critics claiming that her mother’s political influence had helped her campaign. Questions were also raised over her academic credentials and alleged violations of Bangladesh’s penal code.
Wazed had previously sought an independent investigation into the WHO’s actions against her and reportedly complained that her placement on administrative leave had taken place without due process. She had also raised the issue with Ghebreyesus on several occasions.
According to Reuters, the WHO had already been preparing for a change in leadership. The agency is expected to invite nominations for the regional director’s post on October 12, with applications to be vetted in December and an election scheduled for January 24.
Wazed, a licensed school psychologist in the US, had been responsible for overseeing international health work across 11 countries in the WHO’s Southeast Asia region, representing a population of more than two billion people.
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