British MP Tulip Siddiq Condemns “Deeply Unfair” Corruption Conviction in Bangladesh

Labour MP Tulip Siddiq has fiercely criticized her recent two-year prison sentence in Bangladesh, describing the corruption charges as “deeply unfair.” The conviction, handed down in her absence by a Dhaka court, alleges she used her influence over her aunt, Bangladesh’s ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, to secure a plot of land for her family. Siddiq, who resides in London, vehemently denies the claims and is unlikely to serve the jail term.

Siddiq expressed her profound bewilderment, stating the entire legal process had been “flawed and farcical from the beginning to the end.” She asserted that she has received no official contact or summons from Bangladeshi authorities regarding the allegations, despite their public dissemination for over a year-and-a-half. “I’m absolutely baffled by the whole thing,” she explained, adding, “This is trial by media, which is deeply unfair.” Millenium TV has learned that Siddiq has engaged legal teams in both the UK and Bangladesh to address the situation.

The conviction comes as Bangladeshi prosecutors pursue a series of wide-ranging legal actions against former Prime Minister Hasina and her associates since her government was overturned. Siddiq, who stepped down as a Treasury minister in January over concerns regarding her familial ties, has been facing trial in Dhaka since August.

Court documents claim Siddiq “forced and influenced her aunt and the former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina using her special power to secure [a plot of land] for her mother Rehana Siddiq, sister Azmina Siddiq and brother Radwan Siddiq.” While a prosecutor for Bangladesh’s Anti-Corruption Commission maintained Siddiq was tried as a Bangladeshi citizen based on obtained passport and tax information, her lawyers have disputed this, stating she “has not held a passport since she was a child” and never possessed a Bangladeshi ID card.

Judge Rabiul Alam sentenced Siddiq to two years in prison and imposed a 100,000 Bangladeshi Taka fine (approximately $821 or £620). Failure to pay the fine would result in an additional six months added to her sentence. Millenium TV understands that due to the lack of an extradition treaty between the UK and Bangladesh, and her presence in London, the sentence is unlikely to be enforced.

A spokesperson for the Labour Party stated the party does not recognize the judgment. They highlighted that “highly regarded senior legal professionals have highlighted that Tulip Siddiq has not had access to a fair legal process in this case and has never been informed of the details of the charges against her,” despite repeated requests from her legal team. It is understood that Siddiq remains a Labour Party member and retains the Labour whip in the House of Commons, not being subject to internal investigation or disciplinary proceedings.

Concerns about the trial’s conduct have also been raised by a group of senior UK lawyers, including former Justice Secretary Robert Buckland, former Attorney General Dominic Grieve, and human rights lawyer Lady Cherie Blair. In a letter to Bangladesh’s representative in the UK, they described the process as “artificial and a contrived and unfair way of pursuing a prosecution,” noting Siddiq’s inability to secure proper legal representation.

This verdict follows the recent death sentence handed to Sheikh Hasina herself, in absentia, in a separate trial over her role in a brutal crackdown that led to an estimated 1,400 deaths in July 2024. Siddiq, whose mother is Hasina’s sister, continues to face several other charges in Bangladesh, including ongoing trials related to the land allegations, and investigations into an alleged flat transfer and embezzlement claims connected to a £3.9 billion nuclear power plant deal in 2013.

The Awami League, the political party led by Hasina, described the latest verdict as “entirely predictable,” denying all allegations against the former prime minister and her family. The party stated the process “fails to pass any reasonable test of judicial fairness,” accusing Bangladesh’s judiciary of being controlled by the current “unelected government.”

Previously, an investigation by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s independent ethics adviser, Sir Laurie Magnus, found no “evidence of improprieties” regarding Siddiq’s ties to Hasina. However, he deemed it “regrettable” that Siddiq had not been more alert to the “potential reputational risks.” Siddiq resigned from her junior ministerial role to avoid being a “distraction” for the government, while consistently maintaining her innocence of any wrongdoing.