A significant legal development has cast a shadow over UK Labour MP Tulip Siddiq, who has vehemently denounced her recent two-year prison sentence in Bangladesh as "deeply unfair." Convicted in absentia on corruption charges, Siddiq finds herself entangled in what she describes as a "Kafkaesque nightmare," denying all accusations leveled against her.
Conviction and Siddiq's Strong Denial
The core of the conviction revolves around allegations that Siddiq, an MP based in London, leveraged her influence over her aunt, Bangladesh's ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, to unlawfully acquire a plot of land for her family on the outskirts of Dhaka. Siddiq, however, adamantly refutes these claims, emphasizing the "flawed and farcical" nature of the entire judicial process. She asserts that she never received any formal summons or charge sheet from Bangladeshi authorities, learning of her conviction solely through media reports. "This is trial by media, which is deeply unfair," she stated, expressing bafflement at the lack of official contact despite her public profile as a parliamentarian.
Disputed Citizenship and Legal Proceedings
Bangladeshi prosecutors, representing the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), contended that Siddiq was tried as a Bangladeshi citizen, citing possession of her Bangladeshi passport, ID, and tax number. This claim, however, is strongly contested by Siddiq's legal team, who maintain she has not held a Bangladeshi passport since childhood and has never possessed a Bangladeshi ID card or voter ID.
Judge Rabiul Alam sentenced Siddiq to two years in prison and imposed a 100,000 Bangladeshi Taka fine (approximately $821 or £620). An additional six months will be added to her sentence if the fine remains unpaid. Siddiq's lawyers in both the UK and Bangladesh are actively engaged in the case.
A Wider Political Context: Hasina's Family Under Scrutiny
This verdict against Tulip Siddiq is part of a broader series of legal actions initiated against Sheikh Hasina, her associates, and family members following the overthrow of her regime. Siddiq, who previously resigned as a Treasury minister in January due to controversies surrounding her familial ties to Hasina, continues to face multiple outstanding charges in Bangladesh. These include ongoing trials related to the land acquisition allegations and investigations into alleged embezzlement concerning a £3.9 billion Russian-funded nuclear power plant deal in 2013, as well as an alleged transfer of a lucrative Dhaka flat to her sister. Siddiq consistently denies any wrongdoing in all these matters.
The Awami League, the political party led by Sheikh Hasina, has dismissed the latest verdict as "entirely predictable," vehemently denying all allegations against Hasina and her family. The party further criticized Bangladesh's judiciary, accusing it of being politically manipulated by an "unelected government" opposed to the Awami League.
UK's Stance and International Concerns
The Labour Party in the UK has voiced its inability to accept the judgment, highlighting concerns from "highly regarded senior legal professionals" regarding the absence of a fair legal process for Tulip Siddiq and the lack of access to detailed charges despite repeated requests.
Furthermore, a coalition of senior UK lawyers, including former Justice Secretary Robert Buckland, former Attorney General Dominic Grieve, and human rights barrister Lady Cherie Blair, formally raised concerns with Bangladesh's representative in the UK. Their letter, reported by The Guardian, criticized the trial process as "artificial and a contrived and unfair way of pursuing a prosecution," pointing to Siddiq's inability to secure proper legal representation.
It's noteworthy that the UK does not have an extradition treaty with Bangladesh, which is classified as a "2B country" meaning clear evidence is required for any extradition authorization. Consequently, despite an arrest warrant, Siddiq was not compelled to return to Dhaka for the trial.
Earlier, an investigation by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer's independent ethics adviser, Sir Laurie Magnus, found no "evidence of improprieties" concerning Siddiq's conduct. However, Magnus deemed it "regrettable" that Siddiq hadn't been more vigilant about the "potential reputational risks" associated with her ties to Hasina, leading to her resignation from her junior ministerial role to avoid being a "distraction" for the government.
This complex legal battle unfolds just two weeks after Sheikh Hasina herself was sentenced to death in absentia for crimes against humanity, related to a brutal crackdown that led to her ousting and exile to India in July 2024.