A court in Bangladesh has sentenced British MP Tulip Siddiq to two years in prison in absentia, finding her guilty of involvement in corrupt land deals with her aunt, former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The ruling, delivered on Monday, accused Siddiq of using her influence as a UK politician to pressure Hasina into granting land to her mother, brother, and sister.
Siddiq, the Labour MP for Hampstead and Highgate, has denied the allegations and condemned the trial as 'flawed and farcical'. She stated that the verdict should be met with 'the contempt it deserves', adding that her focus remains on her constituents. The Labour Party has also rejected the judgment, citing a lack of fair legal process.
The trial was conducted in the absence of Siddiq, Hasina, and over a dozen other family members. The UK has no extradition treaty with Bangladesh, making it unlikely that Siddiq will serve the sentence. Prosecutors alleged that Siddiq contacted Hasina's aides and visited Dhaka to secure land plots, but no direct evidence of these communications was presented.
Siddiq's mother, Sheikh Rehana, received a seven-year sentence as the primary participant in the case. Siddiq, who previously served as a Treasury minister, claims she is a victim of politically motivated attacks linked to Hasina's downfall. Hasina was ousted in August 2024 and has since been convicted of crimes against humanity and corruption.
Leading British lawyers, including a former Conservative justice secretary, have criticised the trial as 'artificial, contrived, and unfair'. They noted that the accused were denied access to defence lawyers, with one lawyer allegedly threatened and placed under house arrest. Siddiq maintains that she has not held a Bangladeshi passport since childhood and has never paid taxes there.
