Former minister and serving Labour MP Tulip Siddiq will face trial in Bangladesh later this month as part of a wider investigation into her aunt, the country’s former Prime Minister. Ms Siddiq quit Keir Starmer’s government in January, saying she wanted “to avoid distraction for the Government” following a probe.
Her aunt fled into exile after being deposed last year, and in April Ms Siddiq was served with an arrest warrant. The trial surrounds allegations she illegally received land in Bangladesh, which Ms Siddiq is accused of influencing her aunt’s administration to buy for her, her mother, brother and sister. Despite repeated summons, the Hampstead and Kilburn MP has failed to appear before the court.
Bangladesh’s anti-corruption commission has confirmed that her case is due to be heard, alongside more than 20 other individuals including a number of Ms Siddiq’s family members.
In a statement, lawyers for Siddiq told the BBC: “For nearly a year now, the Bangladesh authorities have been making false allegations against Tulip Siddiq. 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.
“This longstanding politically motivated smear campaign has included repeated briefings to the media, a refusal to respond to formal legal correspondence, and a failure to seek any meeting with or question Ms Siddiq during the recent visit by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to the United Kingdom. Such conduct is wholly incompatible with the standards of a fair, lawful, and credible investigation.
“In light of these facts, it is now time for the 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 investigation was sparked following allegations made by a political opponent of her aunt Sheikh Hasina.
Authorities estimate that around £174 billion went missing from Bangladesh when Ms Hasina was in power.
Ms Siddiq quit the government in January, after an independent review by the PM’s standards chief found she had not broken the ministerial code around registering the use of properties in London linked to her aunt.
She was reportedly given an apartment in King’s Cross in 2004 by Abdul Motalif, an associate of members of the Awami League party in Bangladesh.
Ms Siddiq had also reportedly lived in a flat in Hampstead, north London, which had been given to her sister by lawyer Moin Ghani, who had represented the Hasina administration.
The Prime Minister’s ethics adviser said he found “no suggestion” of unusual financial arrangements for Ms Siddiq’s properties involving Awami League or Bangladeshi state – or that assets derived from “anything other than legitimate means”.
But despite the MP providing “considerable background info” to Sir Laurie Magnus that her affairs were in order, he said it is “regrettable” that she “has not at this point been able to provide conclusive documentation to this effect”.
Ms Siddiq said: “An independent review has confirmed that I have not breached the Ministerial Code and there is no evidence to suggest I have acted improperly. Nonetheless, to avoid distraction for the Government, I have resigned as City Minister.”
Sir Keir Starmer, who appointed her to a Treasury role which oversaw tackling corruption, said he accepted her resignation “with sadness”.
The Prime Minister added: “I appreciate that to end ongoing distraction from delivering our agenda to change Britain, you have made a difficult decision and want to be clear that the door remains open for you going forward.”