Sheikh Hasina’s Daughter Resigns as WHO Regional Chief Amid Fraud Probe

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Geneva: Saima Wazed, daughter of ousted former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, has resigned as the World Health Organization’s regional director for Southeast Asia amid fraud investigations by the WHO and Bangladeshi authorities.

Wazed resigned with immediate effect on Wednesday, ending a five-year term she began in early 2024. The WHO had placed her on unpaid administrative leave in 2025 after Bangladesh’s Anti-Corruption Commission filed fraud and forgery charges against her.

The WHO has accused Wazed of financial fraud linked to travel to China, misrepresenting her academic credentials and illegally acquiring land in Bangladesh. Wazed has denied the allegations, saying the travel issue involved an administrative error by an assistant and that she had properly disclosed her honorary doctorate.

In her resignation letter, Wazed said she had lost trust in WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and could no longer sustain her financial situation after nearly a year without pay.

The WHO is expected to begin the process of selecting her replacement in October, with elections reportedly planned for January. Regional directors serve five-year terms and oversee major public health responses across their regions.