Saima Wazed, the World Health Organization’s (WHO) South-East Asia Region head and daughter of ousted Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, resigned on Wednesday (September 10, 2026) following fraud investigations by the U.N. agency and Bangladeshi authorities, according to sources. The resignation followed months of administrative leave and allegations of financial misconduct.

The WHO placed Ms. Wazed, who took office in early 2024 for a five-year term, on unpaid administrative leave late last year. She was first sent on leave in July 2025, in a move that followed Bangladesh’s Anti-Corruption Commission filing cases for fraud, forgery, and misuse of power against her. The WHO accused Ms. Wazed of 'committing financial fraud in relation to her travel to China' and of misrepresenting her academic credentials, according to a separate letter from her lawyers to the WHO on July 3, 2026. She has denied the allegations.

In her resignation letter to WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Ms. Wazed stated she acquired the land in question before joining the WHO and was entitled to it under a Bangladeshi law that covered the families of the country’s independence leader, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who was the father of Sheikh Hasina. 'I was elected to the position of Regional Director in order to serve the countries in my region, which I had sincerely done,' she wrote. '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 added. She also cited financial hardship due to nearly one year without remuneration as a reason for her resignation.

Regional directors are among the world’s most influential health policy officials, with their duties including responses to outbreaks and emergencies and adapting WHO policies to local conditions. They are elected every five years by member states, which include Bangladesh and India in the South-East Asia region. Two sources told Reuters earlier that the U.N. agency was planning to formally remove Wazed. One of them said the WHO would announce nominations for the role on October 12, vet applications in December, and hold elections on January 24. The sources declined to be named given the sensitivity of the matter.

The WHO did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Last month, it said Wazed was on leave but declined to comment further about her case to maintain confidentiality. In a July letter to the WHO, Wazed, through her lawyers, denied any travel fraud, stating it was an administrative oversight by an assistant processing routine reimbursement requests and involved $901. On the credentials accusation, she said she holds an honorary doctorate for her work on autism in Bangladesh and had been clear with Tedros about this qualification.

The case highlights the fallout from Sheikh Hasina’s ouster following a deadly uprising against her around mid-2024, which has extended to her family members beyond her political allies. Many of Hasina’s allies face criminal charges, including for alleged corruption in Bangladesh, or live in self-imposed exile like Hasina. The exact nature of the fraud allegations and whether they will proceed to legal action remain unclear.