Labour MP Tulip Siddiq has been slapped with a two-year prison sentence in Bangladesh after a corruption trial held behind her back. The Hampstead and Highgate MP was found guilty of using her influence to help her family secure a government land plot.
Family Drama Explodes: Former PM Sentenced Too
Siddiq, niece of ousted Bangladeshi prime minister Sheikh Hasina, was caught up in the scandal along with her mother Sheikh Rehana and aunt Hasina. Rehana was hit with seven years behind bars, while Hasina herself received a five-year prison term for abusing power.
The saga doesn’t end there. Just two weeks earlier, Hasina was sentenced to death over her brutal crackdown on protests that ended her 15-year reign. She fled to India and now lives in exile. All trials happened in their absence.
Siddiq Denies All Charges, Calls It Political Vendetta
Siddiq, tried in absentia, has flatly denied the accusations. She branded the trial “a farce” filled with “fabricated accusations” and claimed she’s a victim caught in a political vendetta linked to the bitter feud between her aunt and Bangladesh’s interim leader Muhammad Yunus.
“The charges are completely absurd — I am collateral damage,” Siddiq told The Guardian.
UK Split: No Extradition Deal and Political Fallout
- The UK has no extradition treaty with Bangladesh, meaning Siddiq remains free on home turf for now.
- Earlier this year, Siddiq quit her government role in the Treasury amid pressure over her family links.
- She was investigated for her use of London properties tied to Hasina’s allies but was cleared of breaching the Ministerial Code.
- Despite the clearance, ethics advisers urged Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer to rethink Siddiq’s responsibilities, prompting her resignation.
Siddiq and her family remain abroad as courts continue probing multiple cases tied to the disputed township land project. Hasina’s son and daughter also received jail terms in related trials.
