In resignation letter, she says allegations over land are baseless, claims WHO leadership blocked her from performing duties
Desk report: Saima Wazed, daughter of ousted former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, has resigned as the World Health Organization’s (WHO) regional director for South-East Asia amid investigations into allegations of fraud and misconduct.
Wazed submitted her resignation on Wednesday, according to a letter reviewed by Reuters. The resignation comes as both the WHO and Bangladeshi authorities investigate allegations against her.
In her resignation letter to WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Wazed said the organisation had accused her of illegally acquiring a piece of land in Bangladesh.
She denied the allegation, saying she had obtained the land before joining the WHO and was entitled to it under a law applicable to members of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s family.
Wazed said she had discharged her responsibilities “with sincerity” after being elected regional director. However, she claimed that her ability to perform her duties had been undermined and that the situation had destroyed her trust and confidence in the WHO leadership.
She also cited financial difficulties, saying she had not received her salary for nearly a year.
“Under these circumstances,” she said in the letter, she had decided to step down from the post.
Wazed assumed the five-year position at the beginning of 2024 after being elected regional director in October 2023.
Her tenure, however, was overshadowed by allegations of misconduct. The WHO placed her on administrative leave without pay late last year amid the investigation.
The Bangladesh Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed a case against her in March, accusing her of fraud and forgery. She has denied the allegations.
According to a separate letter sent by Wazed’s lawyers to the WHO on July 3, the organisation had accused her of financial irregularities during a trip to China and of providing inaccurate information about her academic qualifications.
Wazed has rejected those allegations as well.
Her resignation now leaves the WHO’s South-East Asia regional director post vacant as investigations into the allegations against her continue.
