A Bangladeshi court has hit Labour MP Tulip Siddiq with a four-year prison sentence for corruption and pushed for an Interpol Red Notice to arrest her abroad. The move ramps up tensions between Bangladesh and the UK as Siddiq continues to represent her north London seat from afar.
Interpol Alert Issued After Corruption Verdict
Dhaka’s Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Mohammed Sabbir Faiz signed off the Red Notice today after Bangladesh’s anti-corruption watchdog petitioned Interpol. Assistant Director A.K.M. Mortuza Ali Sagar called on the international police network to help nab Siddiq, accusing her of graft linked to a controversial government township project.
Siddiq Slams ‘Kangaroo Court’ and Denies Charges
“This whole process has been flawed and farcical from the beginning to the end,” Siddiq told reporters. “The outcome of this kangaroo court is as predictable as it is unjustified. I hope this so-called ‘verdict’ will be treated with the contempt it deserves.”
The Hampstead and Highgate MP says she’s the victim of dirty political games and won’t let Bangladesh politics distract her from serving her constituents. “I feel like I am in some sort of Kafka-esque nightmare,” she added, recalling a similar two-year conviction last year.
Political Fallout Hits Family Hard
Siddiq’s aunt, former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, is also behind bars—handed a harsh 10-year term for corruption tied to the same Purbachal New Town Project scandal. Hasina’s rule ended in a student uprising in 2024, and she’s been exiled in India since August.
Bangladesh’s anti-corruption body alleges Hasina illegally secured multiple government land plots for herself and relatives despite clear disqualifications. The family’s fall from grace has sent shockwaves through Dhaka’s political scene.
UK Legal Experts Cry Foul Over Fair Trial
Labour insists Siddiq never received a fair legal process. A party spokesman said:
“Highly regarded senior legal professionals have highlighted that Tulip Siddiq has not had access to a fair legal process in this case and has never been informed of the details of the charges against her. This is despite repeated requests made to the Bangladeshi authorities through her legal team.”
“Anyone facing any charge should always be afforded the right to make legal representations when allegations are made against them. Given that has not happened, we cannot recognise this judgment.”
Former Conservative justice secretary Robert Buckland and ex-attorney general Dominic Grieve weighed in, condemning Bangladesh’s handling of the case as politically motivated and procedurally unfair.
MP Denied Role in Trial, UK Minister Backs Her Denial
Cabinet minister Darren Jones told Sky News that Siddiq denies any wrongdoing and was excluded from the legal process in Bangladesh. He said:
“She’s tried to engage, as I understand, with this process in Bangladesh, unsuccessfully and so she’s concluded it’s more a political operation than a legal one. She was obviously not part of that trial or court process in Bangladesh and they concluded, innocence or otherwise, without her.”
As the legal battle drags on thousands of miles away, Siddiq remains focused on her London voters—refusing to let Bangladesh’s corruption drama derail her UK parliamentary duties.
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