Tulip’s lawyer denies ACC charges as ‘entirely false’

The UK MP’s lawyer says she was not informed of any arrest warrant or court hearing in Dhaka

The lawyer for British MP Tulip Siddiq has dismissed the Anti-Corruption Commission’s allegations against her as “entirely false” and politically motivated, following news reports that an arrest warrant has been issued against her in Bangladesh.

The ACC has never contacted Tulip or her legal team regarding the allegations, Paul Thwaite, senior partner at the law firm Stephenson Harwood, said in a statement on Sunday.

Over the past few months, the ACC has brought up Tulip’s name in connection with alleged corruption involving state projects and land plots.

Both Tulip and her lawyers have maintained that these allegations are part of a targeted campaign and have accused the ACC of failing to formally raise any charge with her.

Earlier on Sunday, a Dhaka court issued arrest warrants against 53 people in connection with alleged irregularities in the allocation of plots in the Purbachal area.

The list includes ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina, her sister Sheikh Rehana, Rehana’s son Radwan Mujib Siddiq Bobby, and daughters Tulip and Azmina Siddique Ruponti.

Thwaite referenced the court order in his statement Sunday night, saying: “Reports have emerged today that the Bangladeshi authorities have issued an arrest warrant against my client Tulip Siddiq. Neither the ACC nor any Bangladeshi authority has contacted Ms Siddiq. I am authorised to issue the following statement on her behalf.”

He continued: “The ACC has made allegations against Ms Siddiq through the media in the last few months. These allegations are completely false and have been addressed in writing by her lawyers.

“The ACC has not responded to Ms Siddiq or presented any allegation to her directly or through her legal team. She has no knowledge of a court hearing in Dhaka or of any arrest warrant being issued.”

“There is no basis whatsoever for any charges to be brought against her,” Thwaite said.

“There is absolutely no truth in the claim that she obtained a plot of land in Dhaka through illegal means.”

“She has never owned any land in Bangladesh, nor has she influenced the allocation of plots to family members or anyone else.”

According to the statement, the ACC has not presented any evidence to support its claims, and the lawyer asserted that the charges are “clearly politically motivated”.

In January, Tulip stepped down from her role as City Minister in the UK after reports emerged that she had allegedly received a £700,000 flat in London from a developer close to Hasina and the Awami League.

The matter drew intense media scrutiny in the UK.

Six months earlier, on Aug 5, 2024, Hasina’s government was toppled in a mass uprising in Bangladesh.

Allegations of corruption involving her and her niece Tulip surfaced shortly after, intensifying debate around the London flat.

On Apr 2, Tulip addressed the allegations in a post on X, calling them “baseless”.

The Labour MP for Hampstead and Highgate accused the Bangladeshi government of launching a “malicious media campaign” against her.

Highlighting "due process", "the rule of law" and a "tradition of fair play" as hallmarks of British democracy, Tulip added: “I would happily respond to any legitimate questions, but I will not be drawn into dirty politics, nor allow their witch-hunt to undermine my work as a British citizen and proud member of the UK Parliament.”