Investigations will cover Tulip, her uncle, and their families over alleged illegal assets
Published : 15 Jan 2025, 11:11 PM
The Anti-Corruption Commission, or ACC, has begun investigating the alleged illegal assets of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s nieces, Tulip Siddiq and Azmina Siddique Ruponti, their uncle Tariqueue Ahmed Siddique, who served as her defence advisor, along with his wife Shaheen Siddique and daughter Bushra Siddique.
ACC Director General Akhtar Hossain told reporters on Wednesday that the commission had decided to launch an inquiry after receiving complaints about them.
Akhtar said, "Preliminary information about corruption, abuse of power, illegal land acquisition, money laundering, and the accumulation of illegal assets under both their names and others' in the country and abroad has led to the decision to investigate."
Tarique is the brother-in-law of Sheikh Rehana, Hasina’s younger sister.
He served as Hasina’s military advisor from 2009 until her ousting.
Tulip, Rehana’s daughter, is a British lawmaker and was the minister for financial services in the UK government until her resignation on Tuesday, following questions about corruption allegations in Bangladesh and the gift of her house in London.
Tulip has been named as a defendant in a plot corruption case filed against Rehana, her son Radwan Mujib Siddiq Bobby, and her daughter Azmina.
Allegations of financial irregularities involving nearly $5 billion in the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant project have also surfaced, implicating not only Hasina but also Tulip and her uncle’s family.
According to a document from the Chief Advisor’s Office, citing ACC: “In the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant project, an extra $12.65 billion was billed, and through a contract, Sheikh Hasina, her son Sajeeb Ahmed Wazed Joy, and niece Tulip Siddiq (Tarique Ahmed Siddiq’s niece) misappropriated $5 billion, which was then laundered through various offshore bank accounts in Malaysia."
The document also outlines how the money was laundered.
Tarique's wife and daughter are partners in a "fake company" named Prochhaya Limited, registered under number C-75659/09 on Mar 25, 2009.
The company has been linked to the Ponzi scheme known as Destiny Group.
"Prochhaya Limited has laundered nearly $900 million to countries including the UK. With these funds, a company named Zumana Investment and Properties Limited (registration number 7417417, dated October 25, 2010) was also set up in the UK."
Meanwhile, the ACC has also decided to investigate Hasina's Chief Secretary Tofazzal Hossain Mia for allegations of acquiring assets beyond his known income.
Akhtar said, “The ACC will look into allegations against Tofazzal Hossain Mia, including money laundering, bribery, and various corrupt practices, through which he accumulated assets worth millions of taka beyond his declared income."