Labour MP Tulip Siddiq has been handed a two-year prison sentence after a court in Bangladesh found her guilty of corruption charges. The verdict, delivered in absentia, also saw her mother and aunt receive substantial jail terms.
The Charges and Court Verdict
The conviction centres on allegations that Ms Siddiq corruptly influenced her aunt, Sheikh Hasina, who was the Prime Minister of Bangladesh at the time, to secure land for her mother, Sheikh Rehana. The court found the evidence compelling, resulting in sentences for all three women involved.
Sheikh Rehana, Ms Siddiq's mother, was sentenced to seven years in prison. The former Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, received a five-year sentence. The trial concluded on Monday 1 December 2025, with all parties being tried without being present in the courtroom.
Political Fallout and UK Position
This legal development in Bangladesh has significant political ramifications in the UK. Ms Siddiq, who represents Hampstead and Kilburn, had already stepped down from her role as Keir Starmer's anti-corruption minister in January due to the multiple cases pending against her in Bangladesh.
Critically, the United Kingdom does not have an extradition treaty with Bangladesh. This legal barrier means that despite the conviction, Ms Siddiq is highly unlikely to serve the two-year sentence in Bangladesh. The MP continues to deny all allegations against her.
Implications and Next Steps
The case places the Labour Party in a delicate position, balancing the legal processes of a foreign nation with the status of a sitting MP. Ms Siddiq's future in Parliament and within the party's frontbench will likely be subject to intense scrutiny and internal discussion following this high-profile conviction.
With no extradition pathway, the sentence remains a symbolic legal ruling from Bangladesh, but one that carries substantial reputational and political weight for the Labour MP in Westminster and amongst her constituents.
