Ex-minister Tulip Siddiq hits back at Nobel laureate over corruption claims – and sets dramatic June deadline for response
In an extraordinary escalation of an international corruption scandal, former Labour minister Tulip Siddiq has accused Bangladesh’s interim leader of orchestrating a deliberate campaign to destroy her reputation – and given him until the end of June to back down.
The Hampstead and Highgate MP, who resigned from Keir Starmer’s government in January, has unleashed a blistering attack on Nobel Prize-winning economist Professor Muhammad Yunus, claiming his public comments have made a fair investigation impossible.
In explosive legal correspondence sent today, Ms Siddiq’s lawyers accused the 84-year-old chief adviser and Bangladesh’s Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) of waging “a wholly misconceived and unlawful campaign to smear Ms Siddiq’s reputation and interfere with her public service.”
The dramatic intervention comes after Professor Yunus told Sky News in March that the 42-year-old MP “has so many wealth left behind here” in Bangladesh and “should be made responsible” – comments her legal team say have irreparably prejudiced any investigation.
‘The Time Has Come’
In a move that will send shockwaves through diplomatic circles, Ms Siddiq’s lawyers from prestigious firm Stephenson Harwood have set a hardline deadline of June 30 for the Bangladeshi authorities to respond.
“The time has now come for the chief adviser and the ACC to abandon their wholly misconceived and unlawful campaign,” the letter states bluntly.
Even more dramatically, it warns that “in the absence of a full and proper response… Ms Siddiq will consider this matter closed” – effectively drawing a line under Bangladesh’s attempts to investigate her.
The correspondence condemns what it calls an “orchestrated campaign” involving media leaks and what Ms Siddiq’s team describe as “unlawful threats” of an Interpol Red Notice against her.
From Treasury to Turmoil
Ms Siddiq’s spectacular fall from grace has been one of the most dramatic political scandals of recent years. Just months after being appointed to handle the UK’s fight against financial crime, she found herself at the centre of corruption allegations spanning continents.
The niece of ousted Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Ms Siddiq was named in December as part of Bangladesh’s investigation into whether her family siphoned off billions from infrastructure projects, including a £9.5 billion nuclear power deal with Russia.
She resigned from her ministerial post in January after weeks of damaging revelations about London properties she’d lived in that were linked to her aunt’s Awami League party – though an investigation by the Prime Minister’s standards adviser found she hadn’t broken ministerial rules.
The Nobel Laureate’s Damning Words
Professor Yunus, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006 for pioneering microfinance, became Bangladesh’s interim leader last August after Sheikh Hasina fled the country amid deadly protests that left up to 1,400 people dead.
In his Sky News interview, he didn’t mince words about Ms Siddiq’s case. “Oh yes,” he said when asked if it was serious. “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.”
He even raised the prospect of extradition, telling the broadcaster: “If it’s proven, and again there’s a legal issue – if she still has a Bangladeshi passport I guess she doesn’t have a Bangladeshi passport she will be a UK citizen, so whether we can bring back a UK citizen for trial in Bangladesh – those are issues.
‘I Was Born in London’
Ms Siddiq has consistently maintained her innocence, insisting she’s the victim of a politically motivated witch-hunt by her aunt’s enemies. In previous statements, she’s emphasised her British roots.
“I am a UK citizen, born in London and representing the people of Hampstead and Highgate in parliament for the last decade,” she wrote in an earlier letter seeking a meeting with Professor Yunus – a request he flatly rejected.
“I have no property nor any business interests whatsoever in Bangladesh,” she insisted.
Meeting Snub Adds Insult to Injury
The bad blood between Ms Siddiq and Professor Yunus intensified when she requested a “clear-the-air meeting” during his visit to London earlier this month, where he met King Charles and Prime Minister Starmer.
She even offered to host him for “lunch or afternoon tea at the House of Commons” – an invitation that was ignored.
When asked about the meeting request by ITV News, Professor Yunus was dismissive: “If she has allegations against her, she should appear in court to face a trial. I have not spoken to her. I took it as a legal process and it should be done in a legal way, I should not get involved.”
Properties and Plots
The allegations against Ms Siddiq are complex and far-reaching. The ACC claims she was involved in securing three plots of land in Dhaka’s exclusive Purbachal development for her UK-based family, allegedly using her influence with her aunt.
She’s also been linked to several London properties with connections to the Awami League, including a Hampstead flat originally purchased by a Panamanian company and later gifted to her sister, and a King’s Cross property she received without payment from a developer linked to the party.
Last month, the National Crime Agency secured a freezing order against a north London property linked to Ms Siddiq’s family – a significant escalation in the UK’s involvement in the case.
Secret Jails and Torture Chambers
The backdrop to this scandal is even darker. Sheikh Hasina’s regime is accused of overseeing a network of up to 800 secret detention centres where political opponents were allegedly tortured and killed.
Professor Yunus recently visited one such facility, code-named the “House of Mirrors,” describing it as “just the ugliest thing that you can see, you can feel, or you can observe.”
Ms Hasina, who ruled Bangladesh for 15 years, faces trial for crimes against humanity. She denies all allegations and claims political persecution.
International Complications
The case has created a diplomatic minefield. While the UK’s National Crime Agency has been assisting Bangladesh with investigations into alleged grand corruption, Ms Siddiq’s status as a sitting MP complicates matters.
Under UK extradition rules, ministers and judges would require clear evidence from Bangladesh before any arrest decision could be made. An arrest warrant has already been issued for Ms Siddiq in Bangladesh, along with her mother and other family members.
The Clock is Ticking
With her June 30 deadline looming, Ms Siddiq appears to be taking the offensive. Her lawyers’ letter represents a bold gambit – essentially daring Bangladesh to put up or shut up.
A source close to the MP expressed frustration that the ACC keeps sending letters to an address in Dhaka rather than contacting her in London. “Tulip wants to meet with Yunus and explain everything to him. She has all the papers and wants to show them to him,” the source said.
But with Professor Yunus showing no signs of backing down and the ACC continuing its investigations, this international scandal shows no signs of resolution.
The Bottom Line
What started as corruption allegations has escalated into a full-blown diplomatic incident, pitting a British MP against a Nobel laureate running a nation.
Ms Siddiq’s accusation of an “orchestrated campaign” raises serious questions about the motivations behind Bangladesh’s investigations. Is this genuine anti-corruption work, or political revenge against the family of a deposed leader?
Meanwhile, Professor Yunus’s public comments have certainly complicated matters. By declaring Ms Siddiq has “wealth left behind” before any trial, has he indeed prejudiced the investigation as she claims?
As the June deadline approaches, one thing is certain: this extraordinary saga is far from over. Whether it ends in courtrooms in Dhaka or the corridors of Westminster, the reputation of all involved hangs in the balance.
Tulip Siddiq – Official portrait
Photo by Chris McAndrew, taken in June 2017, used under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license
