Tulip Siddiq sentenced 3 Years in absentia in Bangladesh as political crackdown widens
Labour MP Tulip Siddiq has been handed a two year prison sentence in Bangladesh after being tried in her absence over corruption allegations linked to her aunt, former prime minister Sheikh Hasina. Siddiq, who has consistently denied the claims, was convicted alongside sixteen others in a case that highlights the sweeping number of prosecutions launched following Hasina’s removal from power.
Siddiq, who represents Hampstead and Highgate and is based in London, is unlikely to serve the sentence. Bangladesh continues to pursue multiple outstanding charges against her despite her firm rejection of any wrongdoing.
Conviction tied to allegations involving Sheikh Hasina
According to court documents, prosecutors alleged Siddiq used her influence over her aunt to secure a plot of land on the outskirts of Dhaka for her mother, her sister and her brother. Siddiq has described the claims as entirely false.
A prosecutor for Bangladesh’s Anti Corruption Commission said Siddiq was tried as a Bangladeshi citizen, citing documents that showed she once possessed a Bangladeshi passport and tax number. Siddiq’s legal team disputes this, saying she has never held a national ID card, has not been registered as a voter and has not held a Bangladeshi passport since childhood.
Judge Rabiul Alam sentenced her to two years in prison and issued a fine of 100,000 Bangladeshi Taka, the equivalent of about 821 dollars or 620 pounds. Failure to pay results in an additional six months in custody.
When the trial opened in August, Siddiq accused prosecutors of promoting false and vexatious allegations that were briefed to the media but never shared with her through formal investigative channels.
She has not issued a public comment since the verdict.
Growing alarm among legal figures in the UK
Concerns about the trial’s fairness were raised last week by a group of senior British lawyers. Former justice secretary Robert Buckland, former attorney general Dominic Grieve and Lady Cherie Blair were among those who signed a letter to Bangladesh’s representative in the UK questioning the legitimacy of the proceedings.
The letter argued Siddiq had been unable to secure proper legal representation in Dhaka and described the process as contrived and fundamentally unfair.
Part of a wider post government prosecution wave
The conviction arrives two weeks after Sheikh Hasina herself was sentenced to death in a separate trial over her handling of the deadly crackdown that preceded her removal from office in July 2024. That trial also took place in her absence. She remains in exile in India and denies all charges.
Bangladeshi authorities estimate 234 billion dollars were misappropriated through corruption during Hasina’s tenure. Since her ousting, prosecutors have announced dozens of cases targeting former officials, allies and relatives.
Siddiq faces several ongoing investigations, including two more trials arising from the land allegations at the centre of Monday’s verdict. She is also under scrutiny for the alleged transfer of a valuable Dhaka flat to her sister and for supposed involvement in a 3.9 billion pound Russian funded nuclear power plant agreement dating back to 2013. These allegations stem from claims made by political opponent Bobby Hajjaj, which Siddiq strongly rejects.
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Implications for Tulip Siddiq political future in the UK
Prior to Siddiq’s resignation from her Treasury ministerial role in January, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s ethics adviser Sir Laurie Magnus reviewed concerns about her links to her aunt. While Sir Laurie said he found no evidence of impropriety, he noted it was regrettable that Siddiq did not better anticipate the reputational risks.
Siddiq stepped down from her government position to avoid becoming a distraction and has continued to insist she is innocent of any wrongdoing.
The UK does not operate an extradition treaty with Bangladesh. Any extradition request would require substantial, detailed evidence to pass through British courts. Despite an arrest warrant issued in Dhaka, Siddiq was not compelled to return for the trial.
As Bangladesh’s political landscape remains volatile and its courts continue delivering high profile verdicts in absentia, Siddiq’s case is likely to intensify international scrutiny on the country’s justice system.
