Tulip Siddiq has had no ‘official confirmation' of Bangladesh trial, say lawyers
In April, it was reported that Bangladesh's Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) had sought an arrest warrant over allegations that Ms Siddiq illegally received a 7,200 square feet plot of land in the country's capital, Dhaka.
Ms Siddiq's aunt, Sheikh Hasina, served as prime minister of Bangladesh until she was ousted in the summer of 2024, since when she has been living in exile in India.
A statement released by Ms Siddiq's lawyers attacked the 'longstanding politically motivated smear campaign'.
'For nearly a year now, the Bangladesh authorities have been making false allegations against Tulip Siddiq,' the statement said.
'Ms Siddiq has not been contacted or received any official communication from the court and does not and has never owned any plot of land in Purbachal.
'This longstanding politically motivated smear campaign has included repeated briefings to the media, a refusal to respond to formal legal correspondence, and a failure to seek any meeting with or question Ms Siddiq during the recent visit by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to the United Kingdom. Such conduct is wholly incompatible with the standards of a fair, lawful, and credible investigation.
'In light of these facts, it is now time for the Chief Adviser and the ACC to end this baseless and defamatory effort to damage Ms Siddiq's reputation and obstruct her work in public service.'
A source close to Ms Siddiq said that media reports published on Thursday were the first she had heard of the trial.
The Hampstead and Highgate MP resigned from her ministerial job in the Treasury earlier this year following an investigation by the Prime Minister's ethics adviser into her links to Ms Hasina's regime, which was overthrown last year.
She came under scrutiny over her use of properties in London linked to her aunt's allies.
Although Sir Laurie Magnus concluded that she had not breached the Ministerial Code, he advised Sir Keir Starmer to reconsider Ms Siddiq's responsibilities.
Ms Siddiq chose to resign, saying she had become 'a distraction' from the Government's agenda.
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