Tuesday, 02 December, 2025
British MP Tulip Siddiq has dismissed a Bangladeshi court verdict sentencing her on corruption charges, condemning the judgment as “flawed, farcical” and “as predictable as it is unjustified.”
Speaking to the press, Tulip accused Bangladeshi authorities of attempting to discredit her with “fake” identity documents. Her remarks followed reporting by The Telegraph on documents purportedly showing her holding a Bangladeshi passport — a claim she emphatically denies.
The 43-year-old MP for Hampstead & Highgate — who resigned from her UK ministerial role in January amid scrutiny over her family’s political links — was sentenced in absentia to two years in prison on Monday. Prosecutors alleged she exploited her aunt, former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, to secure state land for her immediate family. Tulip rejects the allegations outright, calling the proceedings politically motivated and “fundamentally flawed”.
A special court in Dhaka on Monday found Tulip guilty of “manipulating and influencing” her aunt to secure government plots for her mother Sheikh Rehana and her two siblings.
Prosecutor Mir Ahmed Ali Salam told The Times that a key witness, Osman Goni — personal officer to Hasina’s former principal secretary — testified that Tulip had relayed messages about plot allocations through senior government officials.
The plots, part of the Purbachal New Town project intended to ease population pressures in Dhaka, were allegedly allocated unlawfully through political influence and collusion with government functionaries.
The remaining 14 defendants were each sentenced to five years in prison and fined Tk 100,000, with an additional six months’ imprisonment in default of payment. The court also ordered cancellation of the Purbachal plot allocated in Rehana’s name. Rehana received a seven-year jail term, while Hasina was sentenced to five years.
Bangladesh has no extradition treaty with the UK. While an extradition request may still be considered under British law, enforcement would depend on the UK government’s decision following judicial and political review.
The UK previously received several requests to extradite BNP leader Tarique Rahman on corruption charges, but none led to action.
Former ambassador Humayun Kabir noted that high-profile cases often involve political considerations. “They are not treated as ordinary criminal matters. Political identity and strategic issues are taken into account,” he said. “In Hasina’s case, there are geopolitical implications with India. It is not purely a legal decision.”
He added that Bangladesh could issue a judicial order, to be forwarded through diplomatic channels, but the final decision would rest with the British government.
ACC lawyer Mainul Hasan Lipon said Tulip remains on Bangladesh’s voter list and holds Bangladeshi citizenship alongside her British nationality. He said the authorities would inform the UK government of the verdict through formal channels. British media, however, report that without an extradition treaty, enforcement is highly unlikely.
Tulip said her two-year sentence was the result of a “personal vendetta” by interim prime minister Muhammad Yunus.
She told Sky News the trial process was “a complete kangaroo court… shambolic, a complete farce.” She said she was “baffled” that Bangladeshi authorities had never contacted her, despite allegations circulating for more than 18 months.
Tulip said her British lawyers had repeatedly written to Bangladeshi officials without receiving any response. When she later attempted to retain legal counsel in Bangladesh, the lawyer “was intimidated and threatened, 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, have a coffee and talk about what I’ve done wrong.’ He declined to meet me.”
Directly addressing Yunus, she 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 come under attack. “A few weeks ago my aunt was sentenced to death. From what I can see, the judicial system in Bangladesh has completely collapsed.”
The Labour Party said it does not recognise the verdict, stressing that Tulip was denied basic legal rights.
A spokesperson said the party “takes the rule of law incredibly seriously” and expects elected representatives to meet their legal obligations.
“Highly regarded senior legal professionals have said she 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,” the statement said. “Her legal team repeatedly requested information from the Bangladeshi authorities but received no response. Anyone facing allegations must be given the right to make legal representations.”
“Given that this has not happened, we cannot recognise the judgment,” it added.
The party confirmed Tulip is not facing any investigation or disciplinary action in the UK and remains a member of both the Labour Party and the House of Commons.
The verdict comes amid a series of cases initiated by the interim government against Hasina, who was ousted in August 2024 following weeks of student-led protests.
Last month, Hasina was sentenced to death by the International Crimes Tribunal for allegedly ordering lethal crackdowns on protesters — charges she denies. She has been living in India since fleeing during the July Uprising.
UK political figures and legal experts have raised serious concerns over the integrity of the process. Five senior British lawyers recently wrote to the Bangladesh High Commission in London, sharply criticising the legal proceedings.
The letter stated that Tulip had not been informed of the charges against her, nor allowed legal representation. It alleged that a lawyer she engaged in Bangladesh had been placed under house arrest and that his daughter faced threats.
Tulip’s relationship with Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer dates back to 2014. After securing the Labour nomination for Hampstead and Kilburn, she supported his candidacy in the neighbouring seat of Holborn and St Pancras. Both entered Parliament in 2015.
Although they backed different candidates in the 2015 leadership race, they later served together on Jeremy Corbyn’s front bench. Tulip was among the first MPs to endorse Starmer during Labour’s 2020 leadership contest.
The Telegraph reported that Starmer considers Tulip a personal friend, not merely a colleague — a sentiment he publicly acknowledged in 2018 while campaigning with her. The two families have also spent private time together, including what the newspaper described as joint holidays.
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British MP Tulip Siddiq has dismissed a Bangladeshi court verdict sentencing her on corruption charges, condemning the judgment as “flawed, farcical” and “as predictable as it is unjustified.”
Speaking to the press, Tulip accused Bangladeshi authorities of attempting to discredit her with “fake” identity documents. Her remarks followed reporting by The Telegraph on documents purportedly showing her holding a Bangladeshi passport — a claim she emphatically denies.
The 43-year-old MP for Hampstead & Highgate — who resigned from her UK ministerial role in January amid scrutiny over her family’s political links — was sentenced in absentia to two years in prison on Monday. Prosecutors alleged she exploited her aunt, former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, to secure state land for her immediate family. Tulip rejects the allegations outright, calling the proceedings politically motivated and “fundamentally flawed”.
A special court in Dhaka on Monday found Tulip guilty of “manipulating and influencing” her aunt to secure government plots for her mother Sheikh Rehana and her two siblings.
Prosecutor Mir Ahmed Ali Salam told The Times that a key witness, Osman Goni — personal officer to Hasina’s former principal secretary — testified that Tulip had relayed messages about plot allocations through senior government officials.
The plots, part of the Purbachal New Town project intended to ease population pressures in Dhaka, were allegedly allocated unlawfully through political influence and collusion with government functionaries.
The remaining 14 defendants were each sentenced to five years in prison and fined Tk 100,000, with an additional six months’ imprisonment in default of payment. The court also ordered cancellation of the Purbachal plot allocated in Rehana’s name. Rehana received a seven-year jail term, while Hasina was sentenced to five years.
Bangladesh has no extradition treaty with the UK. While an extradition request may still be considered under British law, enforcement would depend on the UK government’s decision following judicial and political review.
The UK previously received several requests to extradite BNP leader Tarique Rahman on corruption charges, but none led to action.
Former ambassador Humayun Kabir noted that high-profile cases often involve political considerations. “They are not treated as ordinary criminal matters. Political identity and strategic issues are taken into account,” he said. “In Hasina’s case, there are geopolitical implications with India. It is not purely a legal decision.”
He added that Bangladesh could issue a judicial order, to be forwarded through diplomatic channels, but the final decision would rest with the British government.
ACC lawyer Mainul Hasan Lipon said Tulip remains on Bangladesh’s voter list and holds Bangladeshi citizenship alongside her British nationality. He said the authorities would inform the UK government of the verdict through formal channels. British media, however, report that without an extradition treaty, enforcement is highly unlikely.
Tulip said her two-year sentence was the result of a “personal vendetta” by interim prime minister Muhammad Yunus.
She told Sky News the trial process was “a complete kangaroo court… shambolic, a complete farce.” She said she was “baffled” that Bangladeshi authorities had never contacted her, despite allegations circulating for more than 18 months.
Tulip said her British lawyers had repeatedly written to Bangladeshi officials without receiving any response. When she later attempted to retain legal counsel in Bangladesh, the lawyer “was intimidated and threatened, 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, have a coffee and talk about what I’ve done wrong.’ He declined to meet me.”
Directly addressing Yunus, she 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 come under attack. “A few weeks ago my aunt was sentenced to death. From what I can see, the judicial system in Bangladesh has completely collapsed.”
The Labour Party said it does not recognise the verdict, stressing that Tulip was denied basic legal rights.
A spokesperson said the party “takes the rule of law incredibly seriously” and expects elected representatives to meet their legal obligations.
“Highly regarded senior legal professionals have said she 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,” the statement said. “Her legal team repeatedly requested information from the Bangladeshi authorities but received no response. Anyone facing allegations must be given the right to make legal representations.”
“Given that this has not happened, we cannot recognise the judgment,” it added.
The party confirmed Tulip is not facing any investigation or disciplinary action in the UK and remains a member of both the Labour Party and the House of Commons.
The verdict comes amid a series of cases initiated by the interim government against Hasina, who was ousted in August 2024 following weeks of student-led protests.
Last month, Hasina was sentenced to death by the International Crimes Tribunal for allegedly ordering lethal crackdowns on protesters — charges she denies. She has been living in India since fleeing during the July Uprising.
UK political figures and legal experts have raised serious concerns over the integrity of the process. Five senior British lawyers recently wrote to the Bangladesh High Commission in London, sharply criticising the legal proceedings.
The letter stated that Tulip had not been informed of the charges against her, nor allowed legal representation. It alleged that a lawyer she engaged in Bangladesh had been placed under house arrest and that his daughter faced threats.
Tulip’s relationship with Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer dates back to 2014. After securing the Labour nomination for Hampstead and Kilburn, she supported his candidacy in the neighbouring seat of Holborn and St Pancras. Both entered Parliament in 2015.
Although they backed different candidates in the 2015 leadership race, they later served together on Jeremy Corbyn’s front bench. Tulip was among the first MPs to endorse Starmer during Labour’s 2020 leadership contest.
The Telegraph reported that Starmer considers Tulip a personal friend, not merely a colleague — a sentiment he publicly acknowledged in 2018 while campaigning with her. The two families have also spent private time together, including what the newspaper described as joint holidays.
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