By Chris McAndrew, CC BY 3.0
Former Labour minister Tulip Siddiq has accused the Bangladeshi government of orchestrating a “targeted and unfounded” campaign against her. In correspondence with Bangladesh’s Anti Corruption Commission (ACC), the MP’s legal representatives assert that the corruption allegations are “false and malicious” and have never been formally presented to her by investigators, despite being disclosed to the media.
Siddiq stepped down from her role as economic secretary to the Treasury, where she was responsible for addressing corruption in the UK’s financial markets, in January. At that time, the Hampstead and Highgate MP maintained that she had committed no wrongdoing but chose to resign to avoid becoming a “distraction” for the government.
ACC chairman Mohammad Abdul Momen responded to the BBC, stating that the allegations are “by no means ‘targeted and baseless'” and that the investigation is “grounded in documentary evidence of corruption.” He urged Ms. Siddiq not to evade the legal proceedings in Bangladesh, expressing his willingness to see her defend her case with the best legal representation available.
He also dismissed her lawyers’ assertions that the ACC was meddling in UK politics, emphasizing that the ACC’s media briefings are a standard practice conducted with professionalism and accuracy. Siddiq had previously referred herself to the Prime Minister’s ethics adviser, Sir Laurie Magnus, when the corruption allegations first emerged in January. Sir Laurie concluded in his report that he had “not identified evidence of improprieties.”
He expressed disappointment that Siddiq had not been more vigilant regarding the “potential reputational risks” associated with her connection to her aunt, Sheikh Hasina, the ousted prime minister of Bangladesh and leader of the Awami League party. In a letter acknowledging her resignation, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, a close associate of Siddiq who represents a neighboring constituency in North London, stated that the “door remains open” for her to return.
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) is investigating allegations that Sheikh Hasina and her family misappropriated as much as £3.9 billion from infrastructure projects in Bangladesh. This inquiry stems from a series of accusations made by Bobby Hajjaj, a political rival of Hasina. Court documents reviewed by the BBC indicate that Hajjaj has alleged Siddiq assisted in negotiating a deal with Russia in 2013 that inflated the cost of a new nuclear power plant in Bangladesh.
In correspondence with the ACC, Siddiq’s legal representatives, Stephenson Harwood, reiterated her assertion that she had no involvement in the nuclear plant agreement, despite being photographed at a signing ceremony in the Kremlin in 2013 alongside Sheikh Hasina and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The letter states, “It is not unusual for family members to accompany Heads of State on official visits,” emphasizing that she was unaware of any purported financial misconduct.
It further contends that the assertion that a £700,000 flat in King’s Cross, London, gifted to Siddiq in 2004 was “somehow the result of embezzlement” is “absurd” and “cannot be true,” given that it occurred a decade prior to the nuclear deal. In his investigation into these claims, Sir Laurie Magnus noted that “over an extended period, she was unaware of the origins of her ownership of her flat in King’s Cross, despite having signed a Land Registry transfer form related to the gift at that time.”
Sir Laurie noted that she “continued to believe that her parents had purchased the property on her behalf,” but he had to clarify this when she assumed the role of a government minister. He characterized this situation as an “unfortunate misunderstanding,” which resulted in the public being “unintentionally misled regarding the identity of the gift’s donor.”
In a letter addressed to the ACC, Siddiq’s legal representatives affirm that the King’s Cross flat was gifted to her by Abdul Motalif, who is referred to as “an Imam and a very close family friend, similar to Ms. Siddiq’s godfather.” The correspondence also includes a comprehensive rebuttal of the allegations made by the ACC to the media, which suggested Siddiq was involved in land appropriation in Dhaka.
It condemns the ACC’s media briefings as an “unacceptable attempt to interfere with UK politics.” The letter states, “At no time have any allegations been presented to her in a fair, proper, and transparent manner, or indeed at all, by the ACC or any other authorized entity representing the Bangladeshi government.”
“We demand that you immediately cease the fabrication of false and malicious allegations against Ms. Siddiq, as well as any further media briefings and public statements intended to damage her reputation.” The letter insists that the ACC must pose questions to Siddiq “promptly” and “in any case by no later than 25 March 2025,” or “we will assume that there are no legitimate inquiries to address.”
The ACC has stated that they have sent a response to Siddiq’s lawyers. In the letter, which has been reviewed by the BBC, an ACC spokesperson asserts that Siddiq has “spent the majority of her adult life living in properties owned by associates of the notoriously corrupt Awami League,” suggesting that this indicates she has benefited from the party’s corruption. The spokesperson further remarked that the MP’s “claims of ignorance regarding the nature of the Hasina regime” are difficult to believe, and the ACC will contact her lawyers “in due course.”
