WHO Says Saima Wazed Resigns as Southeast Asia Regional Director

GENEVA/DHAKA — The World Health Organization (WHO) said Friday that Saima Wazed, its regional director for Southeast Asia and daughter of ousted former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, has resigned from her position.

Wazed submitted her resignation on Wednesday, the WHO said, adding that the organisation had already been taking steps to end her appointment.

“The Regional Committee had recommended that Ms Wazed’s appointment as Regional Director be terminated,” the WHO said in a statement.

Wazed, who has been on leave since 2025, has faced legal proceedings in Bangladesh in connection with corruption allegations involving her and members of her family. She has denied wrongdoing.

Wazed Convicted in Absentia in Bangladesh

A court in Bangladesh convicted Wazed in absentia in November on corruption charges and sentenced her to five years in prison.

The case followed investigations by Bangladesh’s anti-corruption authorities into allegations involving the acquisition of valuable plots of land in a suburb of Dhaka.

Wazed has rejected the allegations and denied guilt.

Her departure from the WHO comes amid continued political and legal controversy surrounding her family following the fall of her mother’s government.

Sheikh Hasina Remains in India

Sheikh Hasina was removed from power in 2024 following a student-led uprising that evolved into widespread protests against her government.

In 2025, a Bangladeshi court convicted Hasina in absentia of crimes against humanity and sentenced her to death. She has remained in India since leaving Bangladesh.

Bangladesh has formally requested her extradition from India.

The Indian government has said the request is “under examination”, leaving uncertainty over whether Hasina will be returned to Bangladesh to face the sentence.

Hasina Says She Will Return

Despite the death sentence, Hasina has indicated that she intends to return to Bangladesh voluntarily.

She has said she will return in December, although it remains unclear whether such a return will take place or how the Bangladeshi authorities would proceed if she does come back.

The developments surrounding Hasina and her family have continued to attract international attention as Bangladesh navigates the political changes that followed the 2024 uprising.

WHO Appointment Comes to an End

Wazed was elected as WHO regional director for Southeast Asia in 2023 and became responsible for overseeing the organisation’s health work across the region.

However, her tenure was subsequently disrupted by the legal cases in Bangladesh and the political upheaval involving her family.

The WHO said its regional committee had recommended terminating her appointment before her resignation was submitted.

Her resignation brings an end to a controversial tenure at the UN health agency as scrutiny over her legal status and the political circumstances surrounding her family continues.