Labour MP Tulip Siddiq hits out at 'farce' anti-corruption trial in Bangladesh
In a statement seen by Sky News, Ms Siddiq has said the case was "built on fabricated accusations".
Ms Siddiq was formerly the UK government's anti-corruption minister but stood down over accusations she illegally received a plot of land in a new high-end development on the outskirts of Dhaka, Bangladesh's capital.
This came after her aunt, Sheikh Hasina, was ousted as prime minister last year and replaced by the current government.
Hundreds of protesters were killed during the uprising and Ms Hasina now faces charges including crimes against humanity.
Ms Siddiq previously denied all the allegations against her through lawyers, saying the prosecution is politically motivated.
Bangladesh's Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) claims the Labour MP received a 7,200-square-foot plot in a diplomatic zone through "abuse of power and influence".
The trial in Dhaka began in the early hours of UK time, with Ms Siddiq on trial alongside her mother and siblings. The family are being tried in absentia as they have not returned to Bangladesh for the proceedings.
The court opened with ACC prosecutors laying out the case against Ms Siddiq.
In her statement, Ms Siddiq said: "The so-called trial now under way in Dhaka is nothing more than a farce, built on fabricated accusations and driven by a clear political vendetta.
"Over the past year, the allegations against me have repeatedly shifted, yet I have never been contacted by the Bangladeshi authorities once. I have never received a court summons, no official communication, and no evidence.
"If this were a genuine legal process, the authorities would have engaged with me or my legal team, responded to our formal correspondence, and presented the evidence they claim to hold.
"Instead, they have peddled false and vexatious allegations that have been briefed to the media but never formally put to me by investigators.
"Even my offer to meet Bangladesh's chief adviser Muhammad Yunus during his recent visit to London was refused. Such conduct is wholly incompatible with the principles of a fair trial that we uphold in the UK.
"I have been clear from the outset that I have done nothing wrong and will respond to any credible evidence that is presented to me. Continuing to smear my name to score political points is both baseless and damaging."
Responding to Ms Siddiq's statement, Bangladeshi Prosecutor Mohammad Sultan Mahmud highlighted the difference between the British and Bangladeshi legal system.
This includes Ms Siddiq only being able to receive a court summons if she returns to Bangladesh.
Sky News understands the MP's lawyer requested to attend the trial in Bangladesh on her behalf but was denied access.
We also understand the Bangladeshi authorities did not tell Ms Siddiq of a date change for the trial, and she only found out when Sky News contacted her lawyer about it.
On the other points, Mr Mahmud denied there was any political motivation to the case.
He added that Mr Yunus likely rejected meeting Ms Siddiq due to a busy schedule and not wanting to interfere in the proceedings.
The prosecutor went on to claim he had "a lot of evidence" against Ms Siddiq and her family, and intends to bring further cases against her.
A separate anti-corruption allegation into Ms Siddiq's family has also been launched, with allegations they were involved in brokering a 2013 deal with Russia for a nuclear power plant in Bangladesh, in which large sums of money were said to have been embezzled.
Ms Siddiq's aunt, Ms Hasina, was ousted last year following student protests, having been in power for more than a decade. She has since fled to India.
Hundreds of protesters were killed during the uprising, and Ms Hasina now faces charges including crimes against humanity.
Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus took over as interim leader and vowed to prosecute Ms Hasina.
Allegations have also been made about Ms Siddiq and a house she rents in north London, which is owned by a businessman reportedly linked to Ms Hasina's Awami League Party.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
2 hours ago
- The Independent
Meet the Afghan girls building robots at home after the Taliban stopped their education
In the sweltering heat of Kabul, a group of young women, who have been barred from higher education for the past three years, gather in one of their homes to work on a new project. Calling themselves 'Voices of Hope,' the group's members are former computer science students who refuse to abandon their pursuit of knowledge, despite the Taliban's sweeping ban on female education. They are using the internet and artificial intelligence to reconnect with the subject they once studied at university. In a country where even a walk in the park is off-limits for them, they have created their own community of learners behind closed doors. Their education was interrupted in December 2022, when a Taliban ban forced them to abandon their studies. The young women were all in their second semester of computer science studies at a private Afghan university. Initially, they clung to the hope that public outrage and international pressure might prompt the regime to reverse its decision. Instead, the Taliban, who had seized power in 2021, issued even harsher decrees, further tightening restrictions on women and making their lives even more difficult. Asrar Parsa, the 25-year-old leader of Voices of Hope, told Independent Persian that the university ban caused a wave of despair. But she and 20 of her classmates decided to keep going, turning to online educational resources to continue studying at home. Since then, the team has taken on several projects in their desire to learn, grow and keep their dreams alive. Among their achievements are building two robots from scratch. They cost about 30,000 Afghanis (roughly $430 or £330) to build, paid for by the group members themselves. Under Taliban rule, women are not allowed to go outside without a male guardian. The team has one male member: Asrar's 28-year-old brother, Navid Parsa, a computer science graduate who is their link to the outside world. He runs errands for the group and brings in supplies from the city. The group started off with 20 members. But over time, 14 dropped out due to economic hardship and a growing sense of hopelessness. Asrar explains: 'Our goal was to keep the light of hope alive in our hearts, to stay motivated, and to learn about AI. But most of the team became disheartened and gave up.' However, some chose to stay. 19-year-old Hadiya Ahmadi, says she suffered from depression and anxiety after universities shut down. But working on small projects and learning how to use AI with the support of the group helped her feel better. Over the past two years, the team has used what they learned in their first year of university and supplemented it with online tutorials. They've built two robots and several other devices. One robot can recognise 20 different objects, including humans, and is controlled remotely. The team tested its movement on a kitchen table. It's powered via radio frequency and bluetooth and can be operated through four different apps. Asrar says if developed further, it could be used in search and rescue operations after earthquakes or explosions. The team is also working on building a drone. If successful, they hope it could be used for tasks like collecting rubbish, delivering emergency medicine, or transporting small items across Kabul. For Asrar, Hadiya, and the rest of the group, tinkering with wires and batteries and listening to online lessons is about more than just robotics or AI. In a time when, under Taliban laws, even a woman's voice and face are deemed awrah (something to be hidden), these sessions are a way to cope with the mental and emotional toll of their isolation. Asrar says these gatherings are a way to escape 'the pain and grief brought about by their current situation'. The meetings offer hope, she explains:'When we're together, it feels like not everything is lost. We still have the power to learn and grow.' Hadiya adds that meeting the group two to three times a week has had a positive impact on her mental well-being. They study AI, build robots, and talk about their hopes for the future. She says she feels better now than she did when her university first closed down: 'Seeing the results of our work makes us happy. It makes us feel that our education isn't over yet and we can still try to reach our goals.' They draw inspiration from another Afghan robotics team, known as 'The Afghan Dreamers', which was founded in 2017 and gained widespread attention both at home and abroad. Focused on technology, engineering, and robotics, the team became a symbol of talent and hope in the face of social and political restrictions. After the Taliban returned to power and banned education and employment for women and girls, team members left the country and now continue their work in exile. For Voices of Hope, the Afghan Dreamers serve as an inspiration. But unlike them, Asrar's team has not yet received any support from external organisations. Despite all the obstacles, they hope to one day showcase their work in international exhibitions, and find opportunities to keep chasing their dreams. The Taliban have strictly enforced their ban on education for girls over the age of 12, claiming that they are adhering to 'Sharia law'. These decrees, especially those denying women access to education and jobs, have drawn widespread international condemnation. But Taliban leader Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada has dismissed international pressure as 'pointless.' Over the past four years, Mullah Hibatullah has repeatedly emphasised the importance of 'education within the framework of Sharia and Islamic principles'. However, not once has he addressed the topic of education or employment for women and girls in Afghanistan.
The Independent
2 hours ago
- The Independent
Trump claims Chinese president Xi made him a big promise about the fate of Taiwan
Donald Trump has claimed that Chinese president Xi Jinping promised not to invade Taiwan while he remains in the White House, as the US leader positions himself as a global dealmaker on some of the world's most volatile conflicts. Speaking en route to the Alaska summit with Russian president Vladimir Putin on Friday, Mr Trump told Fox News he 'appreciates' Mr Xi's patience. "I will tell you, you know, you have a very similar thing with President Xi of China and Taiwan, but I don't believe there's any way it's going to happen as long as I'm here. We'll see," Mr Trump said during an interview on Fox News' "Special Report' onboard Air Force One. "He told me, 'I will never do it as long as you're president.' President Xi told me that, and I said, 'Well, I appreciate that,' but he also said, 'But I am very patient, and China is very patient." Mr Trump said. The US and its allies have long sought to deter China from taking military action against Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its own and has threatened to seize by force if necessary. Taiwan rejects China's sovereignty claim. The Chinese embassy in Washington on Friday described the topic of Taiwan as "the most important and sensitive issue" in China-US relations, without referring to Mr Trump's statement. "The US government should adhere to the one-China principle and the three US-China joint communique, handle Taiwan-related issues prudently, and earnestly safeguard China-US relations and peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait," embassy spokesperson Liu Pengyu said in a statement. Taiwan is yet to respond to Mr Trump's remarks. Mr Trump and Mr Xi held their first confirmed call under the US president's second presidential term in June. Later in April, Mr Trump said that the Chinese president had called him, but did not specify when that call took place. His comments on Taiwan come as he presses Russia and Ukraine towards a peace deal, repeating his campaign promise to end the war 'within 24 hours' of taking office. He has already claimed credit for easing or resolving several other disputes, including tensions between India and Pakistan in May, the Cambodia–Thailand border standoff in July, and flare-ups involving Congo and Rwanda, and Serbia and Kosovo. By citing Mr Xi's assurances alongside his push for a ceasefire in Ukraine, Mr Trump is seeking to cast himself as the central broker of peace in multiple global crises –a narrative he has openly linked to his pursuit of a Nobel Peace Prize.
Reuters
3 hours ago
- Reuters
Modi's tax overhaul to strain finances but boost image amid US trade tensions
NEW DELHI, Aug 17 (Reuters) - Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's deepest tax cuts in eight years will strain government revenues but are winning praise from businesses and political pundits who say they will bolster his image in an ongoing trade fight with Washington. In the biggest tax overhaul since 2017, Modi's government on Saturday announced sweeping changes to the complex goods and services tax (GST) regime which will make daily essentials and electronics cheaper from October, helping consumers and also companies like Nestle, Samsung and LG Electronics. At the same time, in his Independence Day speech on Friday, Modi urged Indians to use more goods made domestically, echoing calls from many of his supporters to boycott U.S. products after Donald Trump hiked tariffs on imports from India to 50% as of August 27. The tax cut plan comes with costs given GST is a major revenue generator. IDFC First Bank says the cuts will boost India's GDP by 0.6 percentage points over 12 months but will cost the state and federal government $20 billion annually. But it will improve weak stock market sentiment and bring political dividends for Modi ahead of a critical state election in the eastern state of Bihar, said Rasheed Kidwai, a fellow at New Delhi-based Observer Research Foundation. "GST reduction will impact everyone, unlike cuts to income tax, which is paid by only 3%-4% of the population. Modi is doing this as he is under a lot of pressure due to U.S. policies," said Kidwai. "The move will also help the stock market, which is now politically important as it has a lot of retail investors." India launched the major tax system in 2017 that subsumed local state taxes into the new, nationwide GST to unify its economy for the first time. But the biggest tax reform since India's independence faced criticism for its complex design that taxes products and services under four slabs - 5%, 12%, 18% and 28%. Last year, India said caramel popcorn would be taxed at 18% but the salted category at 5%, triggering criticism about a glaring example of GST's complexities. Under the new system, India will abolish the 28% slab - which includes cars and electronics - and move nearly all of the items under the 12% category to the lower 5% slab, benefitting many more consumer items and packaged foods. Government data shows the 28% and 12% tax slabs together garner 16% of India's annual GST revenue of roughly $250 billion last fiscal year. Bihar is a key state politically and goes to the polls by November. A recent survey by the VoteVibe agency showed Modi's opposition has an edge largely because of a lack of jobs. "Any tax cut has wide public appreciation. But of course, the timing is purely determined by political exigencies," said Dilip Cherian, a communications consultant and co-founder of Indian public relations firm Perfect Relations. "It seems to be an indication of some mixture of frustration as well as recognition that there is a broad public pushback against high and crippling rates of taxation." Modi's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party has seized on his tax announcement, posting on X that on the Hindu festival of lights, Diwali, "a brighter gift of simpler taxes and more savings is waiting for every Indian." Modi has vowed to protect farmers, fishermen and cattlemen, following Trump's surprise tariff announcement on India, after trade talks between New Delhi and Washington collapsed over disagreement on opening India's vast farm and dairy sectors and stopping Russian oil purchases. The latest round of trade talks between the two nations set for August 25-29 has also been called off. ($1 = 87.5080 Indian rupees)
