WHO’s Regional Director Putul placed on indefinite leave

Saima Wazed, the controversial regional director for the World Health Organization’s South-East Asia Regional Office (SEARO), has been sent on indefinite leave effective Friday (11 July).

The move comes amid ongoing corruption investigations in Bangladesh, Health Policy Watch has reported.

In an internal email to staff, WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced that Assistant Director-General Dr Catharina Boehme will assume responsibilities as Officer-in-Charge of SEARO.

Boehme is scheduled to arrive at the regional office in New Delhi on Tuesday, July 15, according to the email cited by Health Policy Watch.

Wazed, daughter of Bangladesh’s former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina—who fled the country in August 2024 after mass protests—was appointed regional director in January 2024. However, her selection was mired in controversy, with allegations that her mother used political influence to secure the WHO post, Health Policy Watch earlier noted.

Bangladesh’s Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed two formal cases against Wazed in March, accusing her of fraud, forgery, and abuse of power.

According to the charges, she allegedly submitted false academic credentials during her WHO campaign, in violation of Sections 468 and 471 of the Bangladesh Penal Code, which deal with forgery and the use of forged documents.

The ACC also accused Wazed of falsely claiming an honorary role at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University to bolster her qualifications—an affiliation the university later denied.

The accusations were detailed by ACC Deputy Director Akhtarul Islam, as reported by Health Policy Watch and local media.

In addition to the forgery charges, Wazed faces allegations of misusing her political influence to collect roughly $2.8 million from multiple banks for the Shuchona Foundation, which she formerly led.

The ACC claims this act constitutes fraud and misuse of power under Section 420 of the Penal Code and Section 5(2) of the 1947 Prevention of Corruption Act.

Since the legal cases were initiated, Wazed has reportedly refrained from traveling across the SEARO region due to the possibility of arrest in Bangladesh.