WHO places Hasina's daughter Saima Wazed on leave post graft allegations

New Delhi: In an unprecedented development, Saima Wazed – the Regional Director for WHO South East Asia and daughter of former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina – has been asked to go on leave by the WHO headquarters.

This comes a few months after Bangladesh Anti Corruption Commission registered cases against her in relation to her academic qualification while seeking the WHO job and misuse of power to collect money for a foundation that she runs.

Sources said WHO Director General Tedros Ghebreyesus circulated an email informing the staff that Wazed would be on leave from Friday. She would be replaced by WHO Assistant Director-General Catharina Boehme, who would serve as the office in-charge for the region comprising 11 nations.

“WHO’s Regional Director, SEARO, Saima Wazed, is currently on leave. During this period, Catharina Boehme is serving as Officer-in-Charge,” the UN health body said in a response to a DH query.

The election of Wazed in November 2023 was shrouded by controversy as there were allegations of Hasina using the Prime Minister’s Office to lobby for her daughter for the WHO post. However, neither India nor Bangladesh have responded to such allegations.

With controversy shadowing her campaign, more than 60 health experts wrote to the WHO seeking greater transparency and oversight in the WHO election process without naming Saima in their letters, resulting in a public presentation by Wazed – a mental health professional – and her contestant from Nepal before the south east Asian member countries.

The voting to nominate the Regional Director for South East Asia took place after the presentation and Saina won the election reportedly securing eight votes as against Nepal’s two. She took charge in February 2024.

Sources said the WHO was unlikely to institute any probe on its own and would wait for the Bangladesh authorities to complete their investigations and trials. “As a UN official, she currently enjoys diplomatic immunity,” said a source.

According to reports in Bangladesh media, the anti-corruption unit brought charges on her claims to hold an honorary position at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University - a claim denied by the university – and collection of nearly $ 2.8 million from different banks as the chief of the Suchana Foundation.