Labour MP Tulip Siddiq has been handed a two-year prison sentence in Bangladesh after being convicted in absentia on corruption charges she insists are politically motivated. Prosecutors alleged she used her influence over her aunt, ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, to secure land on Dhaka's outshirts for members of her family, a claim Siddiq "strongly denies".
Based in London, Siddiq is not expected to serve the sentence. She condemned the proceedings as “flawed and farcical from the beginning to the end”, adding: “I’m absolutely baffled by the whole thing, I’ve still had no contact whatsoever from the Bangladeshi authorities despite them spreading malicious allegations about me for a year-and-a-half now.” She said there had been “absolutely no summons”, “no charge sheet”, and “no correspondence”, remarking: “I’m not difficult to find, I’m a parliamentarian.”
Siddiq said she has lawyers in both countries and described the situation as "some sort of Kafkaesque nightmare". "The only reason I know I'm being convicted is because I read it in the newspapers. So this is trial by media, which is deeply unfair."
The case is one of several launched by Bangladesh's post-Hasina authorities against the former leader, her relatives, and associates. Siddiq had quit her UK Treasury ministerial post in January amid scrutiny of her family ties. Court documents accused her of having "forced and influenced her aunt... using her special power to secure (a plot of land) for her mother.... sister... and brother." The Anti-Corruption Commission argued she was tried as a Bangladeshi citizen, though her lawyers maintain she has "never had" a national ID and "has not held a passport since she was a child".
Judge Rabiul Alam sentenced her to two years in prison and a 100,000 Bangladeshi Taka fine, with an additional six months if unpaid. When proceedings began, Siddiq said prosecutors had “peddled false and vexatious allegations… briefed to the media but never formally put to me”. A statement on her behalf said: “Continuing to smear my name to score political points is both baseless and damaging.”
Labour said it could not recognise the judgment. “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,” a spokesperson said. She remains a Labour MP with the party whip.
Senior UK lawyers, including Robert Buckland, Dominic Grieve and Cherie Blair, have formally raised concerns with Bangladesh’s UK mission, calling the process “artificial” and “a contrived and unfair way of pursuing a prosecution”.
The verdict follows the separate conviction of Hasina herself, who was sentenced to death in absentia two weeks earlier over the 2024 protest crackdown, charges she denies. Siddiq still faces further cases in Bangladesh, including allegations concerning property transfers and a 2013 nuclear power plant deal. All stem from claims by political rival Bobby Hajjaj; Siddiq has repeatedly denied wrongdoing.
Bangladeshi authorities claim some $234bn was lost to corruption during Hasina's tenure. The Awami League called the latest verdict "entirely predictable", insisting the process "fails to pass any reasonable test of judicial fairness". Hasina, now in exile, says the judiciary is controlled by an "unelected government run by the Awami League's political opponents".
A UK ethics review last year found no "evidence of improprieties" by Siddiq but warned she should have been more alert to "potential reputational risks". She resigned from government to avoid becoming a "distraction".
The UK has no extradition treaty with Bangladesh, and Siddiq was not compelled to return despite an arrest warrant issued in her absence.
