Anti-corruption trial in Bangladesh deemed a farce by Labour MP Tulip Siddiq
In the heart of Bangladesh, a high-profile corruption trial is unfolding. Labour MP Tulip Siddiq, a British parliamentarian, is standing accused of illegally obtaining state-owned land in Dhaka, allegedly through her familial connection to the former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who is Siddiq’s aunt.
The trial, which began on Wednesday in Dhaka, is part of a broader anti-corruption push by the current Bangladeshi government, following the ousting of Sheikh Hasina. The Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus took over as interim leader and vowed to prosecute Ms Hasina and her family.
The political context of the trial is significant. Sheikh Hasina, who ruled Bangladesh for many years, was ousted in an uprising with violent protests in August 2024, after which she fled into exile in India.
Tulip Siddiq vehemently denies all allegations, calling the trial a “farce” and a “political vendetta” motivated by fabricated accusations. She and her legal team say the proceedings have been marked by a lack of formal communication or presentation of evidence from Bangladeshi authorities. The family members are being tried in absentia, as none have returned to Bangladesh for the trial.
The allegations against Siddiq involve a 7,200 square-foot plot in a new high-end development project called Purbachal New Town in the capital. The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) of Bangladesh brought the charges, as part of a wider investigation involving around 27 people, including Siddiq’s aunt Sheikh Hasina and other relatives.
A separate anti-corruption allegation has been launched against Siddiq's family, involving a 2013 deal with Russia for a nuclear power plant in Bangladesh, where large sums of money were said to have been embezzled.
Allegations have also been made about a house Ms Siddiq rents in north London, which is owned by a businessman reportedly linked to Ms Hasina’s Awami League Party. However, Muhammad Yunus, the interim leader, likely refused to meet Siddiq due to a busy schedule and not wanting to interfere in the proceedings.
Siddiq resigned from her UK government ministerial role in January 2025 amidst reports she was being investigated, although a UK parliamentary ethics inquiry later found she had not breached ministerial codes. Despite this, the trial in Bangladesh continues, with the court opening with ACC prosecutors laying out the case against Siddiq.
The Bangladeshi prosecutor has denied any political motivation in the case against Siddiq, stating that the proceedings are solely based on evidence. However, Siddiq maintains that the case was "built on fabricated accusations" and that the trial is "driven by a clear political agenda."
As the trial progresses, the world watches to see how this high-profile case will unfold, and whether the allegations against Siddiq will be proven or dismissed.
- The corruption trial against Tulip Siddiq, encompassing allegations of illegally acquiring state land and being a part of the surrounding 27-individual investigation, falls under the categories of both politics and general-news, due to Siddiq's political status as a British MP and the ongoing controversy involving her family connections to former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
- In addition to the ongoing high-profile corruption trial, the separate allegation of embezzlement in a 2013 nuclear power plant deal with Russia and the controversy surrounding a house rented by Siddiq in north London, also fall under the category of crime-and-justice, as these situations involve potential financial misconduct and questionable business dealings.
