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No one received the letters sent using the addresses in her NID and tax files, ACC says
Published : 23 Apr 2025, 03:44 AM
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) sent three separate notices to British MP Tulip Siddiq over a span of two months, seeking her statement over alleged irregularities involving a plot in Dhaka’s Purbachal and corruption in the Rooppur nuclear project.
But all notices returned undelivered.
The ACC used Tulip’s permanent and current Dhaka addresses as stated in her National Identity Card and tax records, a senior official of the commission told bdnews24.com.
The notices, issued between Feb 25 and Apr 6, were part of an inquiry into the allegations.
Tulip, a niece of the deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina and currently a Labour MP in the UK, has listed a house on Road No. 5 in Dhanmondi as her permanent address and another house on Road No. 71 in Gulshan as her current residence in her official Bangladeshi records.
While the ACC maintains it made repeated efforts to contact her, Tulip and her legal team have consistently claimed that no such communication was made.
On several occasions, they have raised this in public statements.
She has denied all allegations and accused the ACC of launching a smear campaign against her.
When asked about the returned notices, ACC Chairman Mohammad Abdul Momen told bdnews24.com: “If she is innocent, why did she resign? Why did she instruct her lawyers to contact us? The ACC has emailed her lawyer, requesting his participation in the legal process in Bangladesh.”
He added, “The lawyer must justify his fee. The situation appears to involve forgery or fabrication, yet the ACC bases its work solely on documents and facts. All allegations against Tulip Siddiq can be proven in court – whether in Bangladesh or the UK.”
He also criticised UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and the Labour Party for publicly backing Tulip despite the serious allegations.
“I’m shocked and ashamed that UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his party continue to publicly support an MP facing serious corruption allegations without condemning the matter.”
“When Ms Siddiq resigned as Minister for Anti-Corruption, the prime minister praised her for her ‘uncompromising moral standards’. But that only raises questions about the PM’s own judgment,” the ACC chief said.
He added that there are more allegations against Tulip, including accepting a flat as a “bribe” and using her political influence to have it “illegally” transferred in the name of Eastern Housing.
“If it were a personal gift, it wouldn’t fall under the ACC’s jurisdiction. But the transfer was done through company fraud, clearly showing abuse of influence,” Momen said.
“There are also allegations of fraud and breach of promise. Despite reminders, she never paid the money yet received ownership of the property.”
The maximum punishment under section 409 of the Penal Code for such offences is life imprisonment, the chairman said.
FIRST NOTICE RELATED TO PURBACHAL PLOT
On Feb 25, the ACC issued the first notice as part of its probe into Tulip’s alleged involvement in “corruption and irregularities” related to plot allocation in Purbachal.
The notice said the former prime minister allegedly abused her power and conspired with the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartipakhkha (RAJUK) senior officials to allocate six plots measuring 60-katha, or 99 decimal in total, in the diplomatic zone of Sector 27 of Purbachal New Town project.
For the sake of a fair investigation, it was “absolutely necessary” to record Tulip’s statement. She was asked to appear before the ACC on Mar 2.
The letter warned that failure to appear would be interpreted as having “no comment” on the matter.
The second notice followed on Mar 4, requesting her presence on Mar 6 to discuss the plot allocation issue further.
Again, ACC Assistant Director SM Rashedul Hasan, the investigating officer, received no response.
On Jan 12, 13, and 14, the ACC filed six separate cases against Hasina, her sister Sheikh Rehana, and four other family members over alleged irregularities in Purbachal plot allocations.
The decision to investigate the matter was first announced by the ACC on Dec 27.
NOTICE OVER ROOPPUR NUCLEAR PROJECT
A third notice was issued on Apr 6 as part of a separate probe into the alleged embezzlement of nearly Tk 590 billion during the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant construction, funded by Russia.
The notice asked Tulip to appear at the ACC on Apr 10.
She did not respond. No case has yet been filed regarding this allegation.
On Aug 5, 2024, amid mass student and public protests, Hasina fled to India.
Three days later, Muhammad Yunus-led interim government assumed office.
Since then, a series of allegations against the Sheikh family have surfaced and many have led to formal investigations.
As part of this, on Apr 13, a Dhaka court issued arrest warrants for 53 individuals, including Tulip, in the Purbachal plot corruption case.
The list also includes Hasina, Rehana, her son Radwan Mujib Siddiq Bobby, daughters Tulip and Azmina Siddique Ruponti.
In response, Tulip told reporters outside her London home that there was no proof she had done anything wrong.
“This is a politically motivated smear campaign,” she said, claiming that no Bangladeshi authority had contacted her and described the situation as a “trial by media”.
"I can't dignify this politically motivated smear campaign with any comment," she said.
Tulip also accused the authorities of attempting to "harass" her.
“There is no evidence I've done anything wrong", she said.
On the night of the arrest warrant, her lawyer Paul Thwaites issued a statement rejecting the ACC’s allegations as “completely false and baseless”.
ANOTHER CASE OVER FLAT ALLEGATION
Just three days later, on Apr 15, the ACC filed another case against Tulip.
She is accused of abusing her power to facilitate the “illegal transfer” of a Gulshan plot and accepting a flat as a “bribe”.
To counter her claims of harassment, ACC chief Momen held a press conference on Apr 6, asserting that Tulip had been named as an accused in the Purbachal case based on documented evidence.
“There is sufficient evidence against the accused. They must appear in court and respond to the charges,” he said.
The Awami League government was toppled by a mass uprising on Aug 5, 2024— six months before Tulip stepped down as City minister.
She resigned in January amid criticism over reports that she had received a £700,000 London flat as a “gift” from a developer with close ties to Hasina and her party, the Awami League.
No evidence has been found of Tulip breaching the ministerial code while holding office.
The British prime minister's ethics advisor Sir Laurie Magnus had said it was "regrettable" that Tulip was not more "alert to the potential reputational risks" arising from her close family's association with Bangladesh.
At the time, Starmer praised Tulip for her "difficult decision" to resign, assuring her that "the door remains open" for her in the future.
