Labour MP Tulip Siddiq is set to face trial in Bangladesh on 11 August over corruption allegations, with proceedings expected to continue in her absence after she failed to respond to multiple court summons.
Bangladesh’s Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) confirmed the former treasury minister is accused of illegally receiving a 7,200 square feet plot of land in Dhaka’s diplomatic zone through “abuse of power and influence” during her aunt Sheikh Hasina’s premiership.
The Hampstead and Highgate MP, who resigned as Economic Secretary to the Treasury in January, faces charges alongside more than 20 other individuals, including Hasina and other family members. The cases specifically relate to the Purbachal new town development project near Dhaka.
Siddiq’s lawyers vehemently denied the allegations in a statement released on Thursday, describing them as part of a “longstanding politically motivated smear campaign” that has lasted nearly a year.
“Ms Siddiq has not been contacted or received any official communication from the court and does not and has never owned any plot of land in Purbachal,” her legal team stated.
The lawyers criticised the ACC’s conduct, noting its “refusal to respond to formal legal correspondence” and failure to meet with Siddiq during the commission’s recent visit to the United Kingdom. “Such conduct is wholly incompatible with the standards of a fair, lawful, and credible investigation,” they added.
Sky News understands that Thursday’s media reports were the first Siddiq had heard of the trial date, despite her lawyers allegedly attending court daily last week seeking information. However, an ACC official told Sky News that Siddiq’s lawyer “was absent in the court” when the order was issued.
The 42-year-old MP’s legal troubles stem from her family connections to Bangladesh’s former regime. Her aunt, Sheikh Hasina, served as prime minister from 2009 until August 2024, when she was ousted following mass student-led protests and fled to India.
Bangladeshi authorities issued an arrest warrant for Siddiq in April, which she dismissed at the time, telling reporters: “There is no evidence that I have done anything wrong.
The corruption allegations form part of a broader investigation by Bangladesh’s interim government, led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus. Authorities estimate approximately $234 billion (£174 billion) was siphoned from Bangladesh through corrupt means during Hasina’s 15-year rule.
In March, Yunus suggested Siddiq could face extradition, telling Sky News: “Oh yes. Our Anti-Corruption Commission is taking it very seriously, she has much wealth left behind here and they will check everything, and see how she should be made responsible.”
The controversy has already claimed Siddiq’s ministerial career. She resigned from Sir Keir Starmer’s government in January following an investigation by the prime minister’s standards adviser, Sir Laurie Magnus.
Whilst Sir Laurie found no evidence of improprieties, he deemed it “regrettable” that Siddiq had not been “more alert to the potential reputational risks” arising from her family’s associations with Bangladesh.
In her resignation letter, Siddiq maintained her innocence but acknowledged that continuing in her role would be a “distraction” from the government’s work.
The MP is also named in a separate ACC investigation alleging embezzlement of £3.9 billion connected to a Russian-funded nuclear power plant deal with Bangladesh in 2013. Siddiq has denied any involvement in that transaction.
Last month, Bangladesh’s interim leader refused to meet Siddiq during his UK visit to discuss the allegations, stating it was a matter for the courts. In June, Siddiq had formally requested a meeting with Yunus to “help clear up the misunderstanding,” emphasising she is “a UK citizen, born in London” with “no property or business interests in Bangladesh.
The allegations against Siddiq are based partly on claims by Bobby Hajjaj, a political opponent of Hasina’s Awami League party. The ACC maintains its case is supported by documentary evidence, including 87 pages of tax returns filed by Siddiq in Bangladesh covering assessment years 2006-07 to 2018-19.
Siddiq’s lawyers called on Bangladesh’s chief adviser and the ACC to “end this baseless and defamatory effort to damage Ms Siddiq’s reputation and obstruct her work in public service.”
The trial’s timing adds pressure on the Labour government, coming just months after Siddiq’s high-profile resignation. Conservative Party spokespeople have called for her to “immediately stand down as a Labour MP” if subject to an arrest warrant.
A source close to Siddiq confirmed she will not attend the trial in Dhaka, meaning proceedings will continue in absentia under Bangladeshi law.
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Image Credit:
This is a licensed photograph used in cropped form:
- Official portrait of Tulip Siddiq (crop 2) – English description: Official portrait of Tulip Siddiq crop 2.jpg, originally taken in June 2017, by Chris McAndrew, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC BY 3.0)
