British Labour Party MP Tulip Siddiq has sharply rejected the corruption verdict issued against her by a Bangladeshi court, calling the entire process “flawed and farcical from start to finish.” Speaking to The Guardian moments after the ruling, Siddiq said the outcome of what she described as a “kangaroo court” was both “predictable and absurd.”
“I hope this so-called verdict receives the contempt it deserves,” she told the newspaper. “My focus remains solely on my constituents in Hampstead and Highgate. I refuse to be distracted by the dirty politics of Bangladesh.”
Siddiq, niece of Bangladesh’s former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, was sentenced in absentia to two years in prison in a corruption case involving the alleged misuse of political influence to secure government land for members of the Hasina family. Her mother, Sheikh Rehana, received a seven-year prison sentence in the same verdict.
None of the accused—including Siddiq, Sheikh Hasina, or their other family members—were present in court. They were also denied legal representation, after a lawyer who attempted to appear on their behalf said he had been threatened and placed under house arrest.
“A Kafkaesque nightmare”: Tulip Siddiq speaks to BBC
In a separate reaction to the BBC, Siddiq described the case as “deeply unfair,” saying she had never been formally notified of any charge or summons.
“I’m absolutely baffled by the whole thing,” she said. “There’s been absolutely no summons, no charge sheet, no correspondence. I’m not difficult to find—I’m a parliamentarian.”
She added: “I feel like I’m in some sort of Kafkaesque nightmare. The only reason I know I’m being convicted is because I read it in the newspapers. This is trial by media.”
Siddiq said she has hired lawyers in both the UK and Bangladesh.
Prosecution claims vs. disputed evidence
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) in Bangladesh alleged that Siddiq had used her influence as a UK MP to “pressure” Sheikh Hasina into helping Siddiq’s mother, sister, and brother obtain a valuable government plot. Prosecutor Khan Mohammad Mainul Hasan claimed Siddiq had communicated via phone calls and messages with top aides at the Prime Minister’s Office and made personal visits to Dhaka to facilitate the process.
However, prosecutors provided no evidence of such communications. They said the information originated from two unnamed officials at the Prime Minister’s residence.
Siddiq has dismissed the allegations outright, saying much of the evidence was “fabricated.” Her lawyers told British media outlets that she has never held a Bangladeshi passport since childhood, has never paid taxes in Bangladesh, and yet was prosecuted “as a Bangladeshi citizen” using documents she disputes.
Trial amid sweeping cases against Hasina family
The verdict is the latest in a series of aggressive legal actions undertaken by the Yunus-led interim government, formed after Sheikh Hasina was ousted in August 2024 following student-led protests backed by segments of the military and Islamist groups.
In recent months, Bangladesh’s courts have delivered multiple severe rulings:
- The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) convicted Sheikh Hasina of “crimes against humanity,” accusing her of genocide during last year’s protests—claims widely questioned by international jurists.
- In a separate corruption case last week, Hasina was sentenced to 21 more years.
- Multiple cases have been filed against her family members and senior officials of her government.
Hasina, now in exile in India, has not commented publicly on the verdict involving her sister and niece. Bangladesh’s request for her extradition has not yet drawn a response from New Delhi.
British lawyers challenge fairness of the trial
The verdict has triggered significant backlash in the UK. Last week, a delegation of senior British lawyers—including a former Conservative justice secretary—met Bangladesh’s High Commissioner in London, describing the proceedings against Tulip Siddiq as “fabricated, staged, and unfair.”
A Labour Party spokesperson said the party did not recognize the legality of the verdict, given Siddiq’s lack of due process and the absence of any formal charge or summons.
Siddiq resigned as a UK Treasury Minister in January after political controversy surrounding her family’s properties in Bangladesh. A subsequent parliamentary inquiry cleared her of wrongdoing but noted she should have exercised greater caution due to the reputational risks created by her relationship with her aunt, Sheikh Hasina.
A politically charged verdict amid Bangladesh’s volatile transition
Analysts note that the verdict comes at a time when Bangladesh’s judicial and political institutions are under intense scrutiny. Rights groups and independent observers have accused the interim administration of targeting Hasina, her family, and her political allies as part of an effort to dismantle the Awami League’s influence and consolidate control.
With no extradition treaty between the UK and Bangladesh, Siddiq is unlikely to serve the sentence. But legal experts warn that the verdict will deepen the diplomatic strain between Dhaka and London and further complicate Bangladesh’s already volatile political transition.
Tulip Siddiq says she remains committed to fighting the charges in international forums. “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.”
