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UK Labour MP Tulip Siddiq sentenced in absentia over Bangladesh land corruption claims
A Bangladeshi court has sentenced British Labour MP Tulip Siddiq to two years in prison and a 100,000 taka fine (£620) after convicting her in absentia of abusing her influence to secure land for her family in Dhaka-a charge she vehemently denies. The verdict, delivered Monday by Judge Rabiul Alam, follows a trial that began in August amid a broader crackdown on allies of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Siddiq's aunt.
Allegations and trial details
Prosecutors from Bangladesh's Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) accused Siddiq of leveraging her relationship with Hasina to obtain a plot of land in 2013 for her mother, sister, and brother. Court documents, cited by local media, alleged she "forced and influenced" Hasina using "special power" to allocate the property in the capital's outskirts. Siddiq, who resigned as a UK Treasury minister in January over scrutiny of her ties to Hasina, called the allegations "false and vexatious" when the trial commenced, stating she had never been formally presented with evidence.
Her legal team disputes her Bangladeshi citizenship, insisting she has held no passport, ID, or voter registration since childhood. The ACC, however, claimed it possessed her Bangladeshi passport, ID, and tax records. Failure to pay the fine would extend her sentence by six months, though enforcement remains unlikely: the UK lacks an extradition treaty with Bangladesh, and Siddiq-who represents Hampstead and Highgate-has no obligation to return for proceedings.
Political context and broader crackdown
The case is part of a wave of prosecutions targeting Hasina's inner circle since her July 2024 ouster. Two weeks ago, Hasina herself was sentenced to death in absentia for crimes against humanity tied to a crackdown that killed an estimated 1,400 protesters. She denies the charges from exile in India. Bangladeshi authorities allege £174 billion was embezzled during her 15-year rule, with investigations ongoing into Siddiq's family, including a £3.9 billion nuclear power plant deal and a Dhaka flat transfer to her sister.
Siddiq's conviction drew immediate criticism from UK legal figures. In a letter to Bangladesh's UK envoy-first reported by The Guardian-former Justice Secretary Robert Buckland, ex-Attorney General Dominic Grieve, and human rights lawyer Cherie Blair condemned the trial as "artificial and contrived," citing her inability to secure proper representation. The Labour Party echoed concerns, stating Siddiq was "never informed of the charges" despite repeated requests, and called for due process rights to be upheld.
"I have been clear from the outset that I have done nothing wrong and will respond to any credible evidence presented to me. Continuing to smear my name to score political points is both baseless and damaging."
Tulip Siddiq, statement issued at trial onset (August 2025)
Reactions and next steps
Hasina's Awami League party dismissed the verdict as "entirely predictable," accusing the interim government-led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus-of politicizing the judiciary. Siddiq, who retains her Labour Party membership and parliamentary whip, faces at least two additional trials in Bangladesh tied to the same allegations. A UK government ethics probe earlier this year found no "evidence of improprieties" but noted her ties to Hasina posed "reputational risks."
Legal experts suggest extradition is improbable without "clear evidence" meeting UK standards. Siddiq has not publicly commented since the ruling. Her team previously indicated they would challenge any conviction through international legal channels, though options remain limited while she stays in London.
Key figures
- Tulip Siddiq: Labour MP for Hampstead and Highgate; niece of Sheikh Hasina. Resigned as Treasury minister in January 2025.
- Sheikh Hasina: Bangladesh's ousted PM (2009-2024), sentenced to death in absentia on November 15, 2025, for protest crackdowns.
- Muhammad Yunus: Interim PM leading Bangladesh's post-Hasina government; Nobel Peace Prize laureate (2006).
