Tulip Siddiq Sentenced in Bangladesh in Absentia

Labour MP Tulip Siddiq has been sentenced in absentia to two years in prison by a Bangladeshi court over alleged corruption linked to a land deal involving her family and former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina

sarah

Dec 1, 2025 - 12:32

Tulip Siddiq Sentenced in Bangladesh in Absentia

Labour MP and former minister Tulip Siddiq has been sentenced to two years in prison in Bangladesh. She was tried in absentia along with 16 others on corruption charges.

She was found guilty of influencing her aunt, Bangladesh's ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, to secure a plot of land for her family on the outskirts of the capital, Dhaka, a claim she vehemently denies.

Siddiq, who lives in London and has denied the allegations, is unlikely to serve her sentence.

The current MP for Hampstead and Highgate still faces several pending charges in Bangladesh.

Since Hasina's regime was toppled, lawyers in Bangladesh have launched several major legal cases against the former leader, her former associates, and family members.

The trial involving Siddiq—who resigned as Treasury Minister in January amid controversy surrounding his relationship with his aunt—has been ongoing in Dhaka since August. Court documents claimed that Siddique "used his special powers to pressure and influence his aunt and former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to obtain [a plot of land] for his mother, Rehana Siddique, sister Azmina Siddique, and brother, Radwan Siddique."

A prosecutor from Bangladesh's Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) previously stated that Siddique was being tried as a Bangladeshi citizen because authorities had obtained his Bangladeshi passport, ID, and tax number.

Siddique's lawyers have questioned his identity as a Bangladeshi citizen, telling the Financial Times that he "never" held an ID card or voter ID, and "has not held a passport since childhood."

Judge Rabiul Alam sentenced him to two years in prison and a fine of 100,000 Bangladeshi taka ($821; £620). If she doesn't pay, six months will be added to her sentence.

When the trial began, the MP said the prosecutor had made "false and disturbing allegations, which were reported to the media but never formally disclosed to me by investigators."

A statement on her behalf continued: "I have clearly stated from the beginning that I have done nothing wrong and will respond to any credible evidence presented to me. The smearing of my name to score political points is both baseless and damaging."

She has not commented publicly since the verdict was announced.

Last week, a group of senior lawyers expressed concerns to Bangladesh's representative in the UK about how the trial was conducted.

Signatories to that statement included former Justice Secretary Robert Buckland, former Attorney General Dominic Grieve, and Lady Cherie Blair, a human rights lawyer and wife of former Prime Minister Sir Tony Blair.

In a letter first reported in the Guardian, he said Siddique had not received proper legal representation during the trial, adding: "Such a process is sham and a sham and unfair way to conduct a trial."

The verdict comes two weeks after Hasina was sentenced to death in a separate trial for her role in the brutal crackdown on protests that ultimately forced her to step down in July 2024.

She was found guilty of crimes against humanity in connection with the deaths of nearly 1,400 people at the hands of police.

The trial was held in Hasina's absence, as she has been in exile in India since her removal. She denies the charges.

Siddique, whose mother is the former prime minister's sister, still faces several pending charges in Bangladesh, including two ongoing trials related to the charges at the center of Monday's verdict.

He is also being investigated for allegedly transferring a flat in a lucrative area of Dhaka to his sister.

Last week, Hasina was sentenced to 21 years in prison after a trial in her absence along with her two children over a land deal in the capital's Purbachal area, a case that was heard concurrently with the case against Siddique.

Siddique and his family are also being investigated in connection with allegations of irregularities in a £3.9 billion deal involving a Russian-funded nuclear power plant in 2013.

Siddique has repeatedly denied wrongdoing in these allegations, which were initiated by claims by Hasina's political opponent, Bobby Hajjaj.

Bangladeshi authorities have stated that they estimate that approximately $234 billion (£174 billion) was misappropriated through corruption during Hasina's tenure.

Before Siddiq's resignation from the British government, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer's independent ethics adviser, Sir Laurie Magnus, stated that after an investigation, he had found "no evidence of wrongdoing."

However, he said it was "regrettable" that Siddiq was not more vigilant about the "potential reputational risks" of her relationship with Hasina.

Siddiq continued to insist that she had done nothing wrong, but she resigned from her junior ministerial role to avoid becoming a "distraction" to the government.

The UK does not have an extradition treaty with Bangladesh. It is classified as a 2B country, meaning clear evidence must be presented to lawyers.