‘WHO Chief Spread Untruths About My China Trip’: Sheikh Hasina's Daughter Saima Wazed On Her Resignation

Saima Wazed, the daughter of ousted former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, has stepped down as the World Health Organization’s regional director for Southeast Asia amid fraud-related investigations by the WHO and Bangladeshi authorities.  

Wazed’s resignation follows a period of unpaid administrative leave over allegations including financial misconduct, false claims about academic qualifications and the unlawful acquisition of land in Bangladesh. Wazed has rejected the allegations. 

In a conversation with Outlook, Wazed talks about the allegations, her resignation, and the controversy surrounding her tenure at the WHO. 

(Edited excerpts) 

I had several instances of Tedros and his close office directly communicating with the interim regime, leaking information and documents (breach of confidentiality). Tedros also spread untruths to member states about me, regarding my credentials and trip to China.  

 Upon my request for a formal investigation into Tedros' actions, he placed me on leave without pay. This was nothing but illegal revenge and retaliation. My requests were delayed, stonewalled, and ultimately rejected without adequate reasons. For several months, he attempted to convince member states to terminate me while the investigation was still ongoing. Thereby unlawfully prejudging the outcome of the investigation. 

See answer above. It is obvious Tedros stonewalled the process to prevent the truth about his irregular actions from coming out. 

The initial accusation was for violating WHO’s standards of conduct by having allegedly illegally acquired a plot of land in Bangladesh. However, as Tedros knew, I purchased the land before becoming a WHO staff member and therefore could not have violated WHO’s standards of conduct in doing so. 

Moreover, I was tried in absentia on the false premise that I had absconded, although both WHO and the Bangladeshi authorities knew that I was openly serving as WHO Regional Director in New Delhi at that time and therefore that I had not absconded.  

Several months ago I had provided to WHO legal opinions from leading law firms and law professors demonstrating that the judicial process in Bangladesh was legally and substantially flawed and that I was entitled to the land under Bangladeshi law. 

Despite being cognizant of the political vendetta against my mother and therefore me, Tedros seized upon this issue as a convenient pretext to pursue a witch hunt against me to push me out of my office. 

In early August, the allegations of fraud regarding a trip to China were formally closed and found to be unsubstantiated by the WHO investigation team. As stated clearly on my profile on LinkedIn, I record my honorary doctorate as a recognition, not an academic credential. No adverse decision has been taken against me regarding the untruthful allegations about me. 

Any allegations of fraud regarding a trip to China were formally closed and found to be unsubstantiated by the WHO investigation team.  

I absolutely do think so, which concerns me since it points to a lack of independence, political neutrality, and impartiality that multilateral organisations are all about. WHO has an enormous responsibility to retain its global standing and credibility, as well as apolitical decision-making to preserve multilateralism. Under Tedros's leadership, we keep facing the repeated challenges of political bias. 

I resigned because spending over a year without being gainfully employed was causing immense emotional and financial stress. I value work and doing something meaningful with my life. Spending over a year unemployed, without income, prevented from teaching or contributing to society, especially on issues I hold most dear, has been extremely isolating and painful. 

I have received no information from WHO regarding what was discussed at the closed-door session during the Regional Committee meeting. I am appointed by the Executive Board, which was scheduled to meet in January. I cannot be terminated without the Executive Board's approval. Spending another 5 months on leave without pay and waiting for a decision by the Executive Board was morally, financially and psychologically too much for me to sustain.  

I have filed an appeal against the decision not to investigate the harassment case against Tedros and the illegal decision to put me on leave without pay. I will litigate these illegal decisions to the end. 

I believe WHO is an exceptional organisation with professionals of high calibre who are dedicated to serving in the field of public health. It is an organisation whose work is invaluable to global health and is particularly essential to developing nations. I hold WHO in high esteem, and I know it has strong procedural safeguards for all staff when implemented correctly. I am waiting for the era of Tedros to end, so that new leadership is enabled to execute the mandate of the organization's core values and ethical guidelines.