Bangladesh seeks direct communication with WHO, skipping Regional Director Saima Wazed

The interim government of Bangladesh, led by Prof. Dr. Muhammad Yunus, has sent a letter to the World Health Organization (WHO) requesting direct communication, bypassing Regional Director Saima Wazed, who is the daughter of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

During a briefing in the capital on Wednesday evening, the chief adviser’s press team explained that Wazed is currently considered ineffective due to her involvement in various criminal and financial misconduct cases. Apurba Jahangir, deputy press secretary to the chief adviser, stated, “We have urged the WHO to take immediate steps for us to establish direct communication, as we believe Saima is compromised by her familial ties to the previous government.”

In response to inquiries, Apurba highlighted concerns about Wazed‍‍`s connections to the ousted regime, expressing the need for direct engagement with the WHO. Shafiqul Alam, press secretary to the chief adviser, added that Wazed‍‍`s financial activities are under investigation, with her bank accounts frozen by the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU), making collaboration impossible.

Following the fall of Sheikh Hasina‍‍`s administration, many of her officials and family members, including Wazed, have faced legal challenges and account freezes. In November 2023, Wazed was nominated as the Regional Director for the Southeast Asia Regional Office (SEARO) of the WHO for the 2024-2028 term.

SEARO, one of the WHO’s six regional divisions, is headquartered in New Delhi, India, and includes 11 member countries: Bangladesh, Bhutan, DPR Korea, India, Indonesia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Timor Leste. The Regional Director is nominated by the member countries of SEARO.