World
Sheikh Hasina’s daughter Saima quits WHO post, a day after it recommended her termination
While Wazed resigned Wednesday evening, the WHO told The Indian Express that a recommendation for the termination of her employment had been made a day earlier.
FULL ARTICLE · The Indian Express World
3 min readNew DelhiSep 10, 2026 09:06 AM IST
(From left to right) Bangladesh ex-PM Sheikh Hasina's daughter Saima Wazed and Director-General of the United Nations Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus . (Source: FB/ enhanced by AI)
Saima Wazed, daughter of ousted Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, has resigned from her post as Regional Director, World Health Organisation (WHO), South East Asia.
While Wazed resigned Wednesday evening, the WHO told The Indian Express that a recommendation for the termination of her employment had been made a day earlier.
The development comes in the wake of a year-long tussle between Wazed and WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. She was sent on leave in July 2025 over allegations of misconduct.
Wazed told The Indian Express Thursday that she had resigned Wednesday evening. She said she took the step “due to harassment and intimidation, leaving me on leave without pay as retaliation for requesting an investigation into his (D-G’s) conduct.”
“It was becoming mentally and financially impossible for me to cope with this kind of harassment and abuse,” she said.
The WHO, responding to an email query from The Indian Express on Wazed’s resignation, said, “On 9 September 2026, Saima Wazed submitted her resignation from the position of Regional Director for the WHO South-East Asia Region. In accordance with WHO’s governance arrangements, this matter is being brought to the attention of the members of the Regional Committee for South-East Asia and of the Executive Board respectively.”
“The previous day, 8 September 2026, the Regional Committee had recommended that Wazed’s appointment as Regional Director be terminated. That recommendation had been due to be considered by the Executive Board,” it said.
Story continues below this ad
“This matter has been handled through the appropriate WHO processes in accordance with WHO’s regulatory framework, with due regard for fairness and due process, while safeguarding the interests of the Organization and its ability to fulfil its mandate,” it said.
According to the WHO, Nilesh Buddha will continue to serve as Officer-in-Charge of the Regional Office pending the appointment of a new Regional Director.
Earlier, Wazed had sought an independent probe, alleging a political witch-hunt at the behest of the interim government of Bangladesh, led by Chief Advisor Mohammad Yunus, that took charge of the country following her mother Sheikh Hasina’s ouster in August 2024.
The WHO had placed Wazed on indefinite leave on July 11, 2025, pending an inquiry, four months after the Bangladesh Anti Corruption Commission filed two cases against her on charges of corruption, fraud and abuse of power.
Story continues below this ad
She entered office on February 1, 2024 for a five-year term, becoming the first person from Bangladesh and the second woman to hold the position.
Divya A reports on travel, tourism, culture and social issues - not necessarily in that order - for The Indian Express. She's been a journalist for over a decade now, working with Khaleej Times and The Times of India, before settling down at Express. Besides writing/ editing news reports, she indulges her pen to write short stories. As Sanskriti Prabha Dutt Fellow for Excellence in Journalism, she is researching on the lives of the children of sex workers in India. ... Read More
Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram
SOURCE