Hasina's daughter quits as WHO regional head after fraud allegations

Saima Wazed, the World Health Organization's Southeast Asia head and daughter of ousted Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, resigned on Wednesday, according to her resignation letter seen by Reuters, following fraud investigations by the U.N. agency and Bangladeshi authorities.

Wazed's case shows how the fallout from Hasina's ouster following a deadly uprising against her around mid-2024 has spread 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 WHO placed Wazed, who took office as its Southeast Asia regional director in early 2024 for a five-year term, on unpaid administrative leave late last year. She was first sent on leave in July 2025 after Bangladesh's Anti-Corruption Commission, under an interim government that replaced Hasina, filed charges against her in March that year alleging fraud and forgery.