UK Labour MP Tulip Siddiq sentenced in Absentia in Bangladesh over corruption allegations
Labour MP and former UK minister Tulip Siddiq has been sentenced to two years in prison in Bangladesh after being tried in her absence on corruption charges she strongly denies.
Siddiq, who represents Hampstead and Highgate, was convicted alongside 16 others for allegedly using her influence to secure a plot of land for family members on the outskirts of Dhaka through her aunt, Bangladesh’s ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Siddiq, a London resident, is not expected to serve the sentence, as the UK and Bangladesh do not have an extradition treaty.
Her lawyers maintain she is not a Bangladeshi citizen, disputing claims that authorities obtained her passport and tax information in her name.
The trial is part of a series of prosecutions launched since Hasina’s government was toppled in July 2024.
The interim government has accelerated legal proceedings against the former prime minister, her associates, and family members, prompting Hasina to describe them as politically motivated.
Siddiq resigned as a UK Treasury minister in January 2025 amid scrutiny over her family ties, but she has consistently maintained her innocence, calling the allegations “false and vexatious.”
Court documents accused her of using “special power” to influence Hasina to secure land for her mother, sister, and brother.
Judgment and Penalty
Judge Rabiul Alam sentenced Siddiq to two years in prisonment, with an option to paya fine of 100,000 Bangladeshi taka (£620)
An additional six months imprisonment if the fine is unpaid
Siddiq has not publicly commented since the verdict but previously criticised prosecutors for leaking accusations to the media without formally presenting evidence to her legal team.
The verdict follows closely on the heels of Hasina herself being sentenced to death in a separate trial held without her presence.
Hasina, now exiled in India, denies all accusations, which include crimes against humanity linked to a crackdown on protests prior to her ousting.
Bangladeshi authorities claim $234bn was misappropriated during Hasina’s rule—a figure dismissed as politically motivated by her party, the Awami League, which described Siddiq’s conviction as “entirely predictable” and lacking fairness.
International Concerns
Senior British legal figures, including former Justice Secretary Robert Buckland, former Attorney General Dominic Grieve, and human rights lawyer Cherie Blair, expressed concerns over the trial process.
In a letter to Bangladesh’s UK envoy, they warned that Siddiq had inadequate access to legal representation, describing the proceedings as contrived and unfair.
Siddiq continues to face additional charges in Bangladesh, including two ongoing trials and an investigation into the transfer of a luxury Dhaka apartment.
Prior to her resignation, UK ethics adviser Sir Laurie Magnus found no evidence of wrongdoing by Siddiq but noted she should have been more aware of reputational risks linked to her family’s political history.
Despite an arrest warrant in Dhaka, Siddiq has not been required to return to Bangladesh, and any extradition from the UK would require clear, credible evidence before British courts could approve it.
