Labour MP Tulip Siddiq, a former UK Treasury minister, has been sentenced in Bangladesh to two years in prison after being tried in her absence on corruption charges she strongly denies.
Siddiq—who represents Hampstead and Highgate and is based in London—was convicted alongside 16 others for allegedly influencing her aunt, the ousted former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, to secure a plot of land for family members on the outskirts of Dhaka.
She was also fined 100,000 Bangladeshi Taka ($821; £620). Failure to pay could extend her sentence by six months. Siddiq is unlikely to serve the sentence, as the UK has no extradition treaty with Bangladesh.
Court Says Siddiq Used “Special Power” to Influence Hasina
Bangladeshi court documents claim Siddiq “forced and influenced her aunt and the former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina using her special power to secure [the land] for her mother Rehana Siddiq, sister Azmina Siddiq and brother Radwan Siddiq.”
Siddiq has repeatedly rejected the allegations, calling them politically motivated.
When the trial began in August, she said prosecutors had “peddled false and vexatious allegations… never formally put to me by investigators.”
“I have been clear from the outset that I have done nothing wrong,” she said. “Continuing to smear my name to score political points is both baseless and damaging.”
She has not commented publicly since the verdict.
Dispute Over Citizenship and Fair Trial Concerns
Bangladesh’s Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) says Siddiq was tried as a Bangladeshi citizen, citing what it claimed were her passport, ID, and tax documents.
Her lawyers dispute this, telling the Financial Times she has “never had” a Bangladeshi ID and has “not held a passport since she was a child.”
A Labour Party spokesperson said the party does not recognise the judgement, arguing Siddiq was denied a fair legal process.
“Highly regarded senior legal professionals have highlighted that Tulip Siddiq has not had access to a fair legal process… and has never been informed of the details of the charges against her,” the spokesperson said.
The MP retains the Labour whip and her party membership, and is not under internal investigation.
Growing International Criticism of the Trial
A group of senior UK legal figures—including former Justice Secretary Robert Buckland, former Attorney General Dominic Grieve, and human rights lawyer Lady Cherie Blair—wrote to Bangladesh’s UK representative last week raising concerns about the “contrived and unfair” nature of the trial.
Their letter, first reported by the Guardian, said Siddiq had been unable to secure proper legal representation and called the proceedings “artificial” and “contrived.”
Context: Hasina’s Fall and a Wave of Prosecutions
Siddiq’s sentencing comes two weeks after former PM Sheikh Hasina was sentenced to death in absentia for crimes against humanity relating to the lethal crackdown that preceded her ousting in July 2024. Hasina, now in exile in India, has denied all charges.
Since her removal from power, Bangladesh’s interim government has launched sweeping cases targeting Hasina, her allies, and her family. Siddiq—whose mother is Hasina’s sister—faces multiple ongoing cases, including:
Two additional trials linked to Monday’s verdict
An inquiry into the alleged transfer of a flat in a lucrative Dhaka district to her sister
A broader investigation into alleged embezzlement related to a £3.9bn nuclear power plant deal in 2013
She has denied all allegations, which stem from accusations made by political figure Bobby Hajjaj, an opponent of Hasina.
Bangladeshi authorities allege that $234bn (£174bn) was misappropriated during Hasina’s government—an accusation strongly rejected by Hasina’s Awami League, which called Siddiq’s verdict “entirely predictable.”
“The process fails to pass any reasonable test of judicial fairness,” the party said, pointing to criticism from legal experts at home and abroad.
Hasina herself has accused the judiciary of being controlled by an “unelected government” led by her political adversaries, including interim leader Dr Muhammed Yunus.
Siddiq’s UK Position and Ethics Review
Before resigning from her Treasury role earlier this year, Siddiq was reviewed by Sir Laurie Magnus, the prime minister’s ethics adviser, who found no evidence of improprieties. However, he said she should have been “more alert” to reputational risks arising from her family ties.
Siddiq stepped down as a minister to avoid being a “distraction” to the government but has maintained her innocence.
Bangladesh issued an arrest warrant, but Siddiq was not required to attend the Dhaka trial. Any future extradition bid would require compelling evidence to be presented in UK courts.