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Published : 01 Dec 2025, 06:41 PM
British MP Tulip Siddiq has rejected her sentence in Bangladesh on corruption charges, branding the verdict “flawed and farcical” and “as predictable as it is unjustified.”
Speaking to the press, Tulip alleged that Bangladeshi authorities attempted to discredit her using “fake” identity documents, a claim she reiterated after The Telegraph reported documents purporting to show her holding a Bangladeshi passport -- an assertion she denies.
The 43-year-old Hampstead & Highgate representative, who resigned from her UK ministerial role in January amid scrutiny over her family’s political ties, was sentenced in absentia to two years in prison on Monday over allegations that she manipulated her aunt, former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, to secure state land for her immediate family.
According to The Telegraph, Tulip rejects the allegations outright, calling the proceedings “politically” driven and fundamentally “flawed”.
ALLEGATIONS AND VERDICT
A special court in Dhaka on Monday found Tulip guilty of “manipulating and influencing” her aunt, former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, to secure government plots for members of her immediate family.
Prosecutors said Tulip used her influence to persuade Hasina to arrange land allocations for her mother Sheikh Rehana and her two siblings.
Mir Ahmed Ali Salam, of the prosecution, told The Times that a key witness against Tulip was Osman Goni, personal officer to Hasina’s former principal secretary. Osman testified that the MP had communicated through his superior regarding plot allocations.
The plots were part of the Purbachal New Town project -- intended to ease population pressures in Dhaka -- were allegedly allocated unlawfully through political influence and collusion with senior officials.
The remaining 14 defendants in the case were each sentenced to five years in prison and fined Tk 100,000, with an additional six-month term if they fail to pay.
The court also ordered the cancellation of the Purbachal plot allocated in Rehana’s name.
Rehana received a 7-year jail term, while Hasina has been jailed for five years.
ENFORCEMENT OF SENTENCE
Bangladesh has no extradition treaty with the UK. Even under British extradition law, the government may consider a request for a criminal, but enforcement depends on the UK government’s decision after judicial and political review.
Previously, the UK government received multiple letters requesting extradition of BNP leader Tarique Rahman over corruption charges, but no action was taken.
Former ambassador Humayun Kabir noted that in high-profile cases, political considerations often come into play. “High-profile individuals are not treated as ordinary criminals. Their political identity is taken into account, along with strategic considerations.
“In [Hasina’s] case, there are geopolitical implications with India. So it is not purely a legal matter; political and strategic factors are also considered,” he said.
He added that while a sentence should ideally be enforced, legal, diplomatic, and political complications must be considered to assess the feasibility and cost-benefit of enforcement.
According to him, the Bangladesh courts can issue an official order, which the government can forward to the British authorities through diplomatic channels. The British government would then decide how to respond.
ACC lawyer Mainul Hasan Lipon said Tulip remains on Bangladesh’s voter list and holds Bangladeshi citizenship alongside her British nationality.
“In that case, we will notify the ACC, which will communicate with the Bangladesh government, and the Bangladesh government will communicate with the British government to inform her of the sentence,” he said.
British media, however, have reported that without an extradition treaty, the chances of enforcing the sentence are minimal.
‘VERDICT DRIVEN BY YUNUS’ VENDETTA’
Tulip called her two-year corruption sentence in the result of a “personal vendetta” by interim prime minister Muhammad Yunus.
She told Sky News the process was “a complete kangaroo court… shambolic, a complete farce”.
The Labour MP added that she was “baffled” that authorities never contacted her despite allegations circulating for over one and a half years.
She hired British lawyers who “repeatedly” wrote to Bangladeshi officials, but “they haven’t responded”.
The UK MP added that she later tried to appoint a lawyer in Bangladesh, but “they intimidated him and threatened him and he withdrew”.
She referred to a letter she wrote to Yunus during his visit to London in June. “I said to him ‘Let’s sit down. Let’s have a coffee and talk about what I’ve done wrong.’ He declined to meet me.”
Addressing Yunus directly, Tulip said: “He should be ashamed of himself. He is relentlessly pursuing a personal vendetta, trying to smear my reputation and drag a democratically elected British MP into the dirty politics of Bangladesh.”
She added that her wider family had also been targeted. “A few weeks ago my aunt was sentenced to death. From what I can see, the judicial system in Bangladesh seems to have completely collapsed.”
CAN’T RECOGNISE THIS JUDGMENT: LABOUR PARTY
Labour Party refused to recognise the Bangladesh court verdict, saying the process “denied” Tulip’s basic legal rights.
A spokesperson said in a statement that the party “takes the rule of law incredibly seriously” and expects elected representatives to fulfil legal responsibilities.
“As has been reported, highly regarded senior legal professionals have highlighted that [Tulip] 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.”
“Her legal team repeatedly requested that information from the Bangladeshi authorities but did not receive it. Anyone facing any charge should always be afforded the right to make legal representations when allegations are made,” the statement read.
“Given that has not happened in this case, we cannot recognise this judgment,” it added.
The party said Tulip is not facing any investigation or disciplinary action and continues to hold membership of both the Labour Party and the House of Commons.
HASINA ALSO SENTENCED IN MULTIPLE CASES
The verdict comes amid a series of cases brought by the interim government against Hasina, who was ousted in Aug 2024 after weeks of student-led protests.
Last month, Hasina was also sentenced to death by the International Crimes Tribunal for ordering lethal crackdowns on protests -- charges she denies. She has been living in India since fleeing the country during the July Uprising.
CONCERNS OVER FAIR TRIAL
UK political figures and legal experts voiced deep alarm over the fairness of the process.
Recently, five top UK lawyers sent a letter to the Bangladesh ambassador in London, sharply criticising the legal process.
The letter said Tulip had not been informed of the charges against her or allowed legal representation.
It alleged that a lawyer she had appointed in Bangladesh “had been placed under house arrest and his daughter had faced threats”.
LABOUR TIES
Tulip’s political ties with Keir Starmer began in 2014, when she had already secured the Labour nomination for Hampstead and Kilburn and offered her support for his candidacy in the neighbouring seat of Holborn and St Pancras.
The duo entered Westminster on the same night in the 2015 general election.
Although they backed different contenders in that year’s leadership race, both were later brought onto Jeremy Corbyn’s front bench.
When Labour sought a new leader again in early 2020, Tulip was among the earliest MPs to publicly endorse Starmer, reported The Telegraph.
The Telegraph said she welcomed his eventual win, telling the Camden New Journal that he had remained “a good friend through thick and thin”.
Beyond their parliamentary roles, Tulip is widely regarded as one of the few MPs Starmer considers a personal friend rather than only a colleague, the British daily added.
He said so himself in 2018 while campaigning with her ahead of the local elections, praising his “good friend and colleague”.
Both families are also said to have spent time together privately, with The Telegraph suggesting joint family holidays.
