"I have done nothing wrong"
Labour MP Tulip Siddiq has been sentenced to two years in prison in Bangladesh after a trial held in her absence.
The case involved 16 other defendants and centred on corruption allegations linked to a disputed land plot near Dhaka.
Siddiq has rejected the claims and is unlikely to serve the sentence because she remains in London.
Prosecutors accused Siddiq of influencing her aunt, the ousted Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, to secure land for family members.
She strongly denied the allegations throughout the proceedings.
Court documents stated 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”.
The sitting MP for Hampstead and Highgate continues to face several ongoing charges in Bangladesh.
The trial unfolded after Hasina’s regime was overthrown. Authorities launched sweeping legal actions against the former leader, her associates and relatives.
Siddiq resigned as a Treasury minister in January 2025 due to questions over her ties to her aunt. Her trial began in Dhaka in August and proceeded without her participation.
A prosecutor for Bangladesh’s Anti-Corruption Commission said Siddiq was tried as a Bangladeshi citizen after authorities obtained her passport, ID and tax number.
Her lawyers disputed her status and said she has “never had” an ID card or voter ID, and “has not held a passport since she was a child”.
Judge Rabiul Alam handed down a two-year sentence and imposed a fine of 100,000 Bangladeshi Taka (£620). If unpaid, her sentence will be extended by six months.
When the trial began, Siddiq said prosecutors had “peddled false and vexatious allegations that have been briefed to the media but never formally put to me by investigators”.
A statement on her behalf continued: “I have been clear from the outset that I have done nothing wrong and will respond to any credible evidence that is presented to me.
“Continuing to smear my name to score political points is both baseless and damaging.”
Asked if Tulip Siddiq should remain in post, Chief Secretary to the Treasury Darren Jones told BBC Breakfast: “This is a private matter for Tulip to talk to.
“But my understanding is that a trial took place in Bangladesh that she was not part of.
“She tried to engage with questions from the Bangladeshi government but was not allowed to do so and has concluded that this is more of a political situation than a legal situation.
“She continues to deny any allegations that have been made against her.
“This was a decision taken by a foreign country and a foreign court so I’m sure that Tulip’s going to be getting on with the job of representing her constituents in Parliament.”
The verdict comes shortly after Hasina herself was sentenced to death in a separate case related to a violent crackdown against protesters in July 2024.
Judges found her guilty of crimes against humanity over the deaths of an estimated 1,400 people.
That trial also took place without her presence, as she has lived in exile in India since her removal. She denied the charges.
Tulip Siddiq faces additional investigations in Bangladesh. These include two active trials linked to the same allegations heard this week.
She is also under scrutiny for the alleged transfer of a Dhaka flat to her sister.
Authorities have examined further claims involving her family’s role within a £3.9 billion nuclear power plant deal funded by Russia.
Siddiq has consistently rejected all allegations, which stem from accusations made by political rival Bobby Hajjaj.
Before Siddiq’s resignation, Sir Laurie Magnus, the Prime Minister’s ethics adviser, said he found no “evidence of improprieties” after reviewing her conduct.
However, he warned it was “regrettable” she had not recognised the potential reputational risks of her family ties. Siddiq said she quit her ministerial post because she did not want to be a “distraction”.
The UK does not have an extradition treaty with Bangladesh.
The country is classified as 2B under UK guidelines, which require clear evidence before any extradition can be authorised.
Tulip Siddiq was not compelled to attend the trial despite an arrest warrant being issued in Dhaka.
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