Tulip Siddiq: Innocent bystander or beneficiary of grand corruption?
A beneficiary of grand corruption waged by a repressive regime? Or an innocent bystander caught in political crossfire from a country five thousand miles away?
Those are the questions at the core of an extraordinary argument that's been raging for months between the Labour MP Tulip Siddiq and the authorities in Bangladesh.
Key to understanding this tangled tale is understanding both the recent history of Bangladesh and how Ms Siddiq's family is woven into it.
Politics in the country was turned on its head last August after weeks of deadly protests triggered the ousting of longstanding prime minister Sheikh Hasina and her Awami League regime.
From there, a temporary government took charge led by an interim leader - or 'Chief Adviser' - the Nobel Prize-winning economist Professor Muhammad Yunus.
He pledged to begin legal proceedings to investigate crimes and human rights abuses allegedly committed under the previous regime and recover wealth that had been reportedly taken out of the country.
In March, my colleague Cordelia Lynch and who was clear about where the blame lay.
"Everybody was involved in it all," he said. "The whole government was involved in it."
He vowed action against Sheikh Hasina and those close to her.
Which is where Ms Siddiq enters the story.
As well as being the niece of the former prime minister, she is also the granddaughter of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman - the founding president of modern Bangladesh.
Tulip Siddiq's mother Sheikh Rehana has also been intimately involved in Bangladeshi politics and was reportedly by the side of her sister Sheikh Hasina when she fled Dhaka and resigned last August.
So these are not tangential or loose links.
And they - to an extent - explain why the Bangladeshi authorities are going after the Labour MP so vociferously.
In short, they see her as part of an establishment that they believe pilfered and abused Bangladesh for two decades.
So is this political guilt by association - in other words, a "vendetta" as Tulip Siddiq puts it - or is there substance to any of the allegations?
Some of the claims certainly stretch believability and appear very political in nature.
For instance, stories about her benefitting from billions of pounds siphoned off from a Russian nuclear deal appear to have emanated from a dubious-looking American website which also used an AI-generated image of Ms Siddiq to accompany their 'reporting'.
The claims spread after a political opponent of Sheikh Hasina in Bangladesh filed a court claim off the back of them - allowing mainstream UK news outlets to safely report on the story.
Other accusations around the allocation of land are potentially more plausible, but as yet no hard evidence has emerged to back up the claims.
There are some parts of this story that look trickier for Ms Siddiq though.
Property documentation does show links between her and associates of the Awami League.
The Bangladeshi authorities argue this means the Labour MP may have - even unknowingly - benefitted from wealth corruptly taken out of the country and used to purchase flats and houses in the UK.
Ms Siddiq says this has been looked at by the Number 10 ethics adviser and found to be in order.
Briefing from sources close to the MP also suggests a defence that these property links were born out of regular family relationships rather than anything more political or financial in nature.
But a photo of Ms Siddiq in the Kremlin with her aunt in 2013 as well as the fact that she thanked Awami League supporters after her 2015 election suggests a more political context.
That said, disentangling politics and family when you are descended from one-time political royalty and standing as an MP in a city with a large Asian community may be easier said than done.
The Number 10 probe did suggest she should have been more mindful of the possible reputational damage done by these connections.
So this is a saga shaped more by Bangladeshi politics than British politics.
A country getting to grips with its past and preparing for the future, but producing side effects in the process that are reaching these shores.
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Sky News
4 hours ago
- Sky News
Tulip Siddiq: Innocent bystander or beneficiary of grand corruption?
A beneficiary of grand corruption waged by a repressive regime? Or an innocent bystander caught in political crossfire from a country five thousand miles away? Those are the questions at the core of an extraordinary argument that's been raging for months between the Labour MP Tulip Siddiq and the authorities in Bangladesh. Key to understanding this tangled tale is understanding both the recent history of Bangladesh and how Ms Siddiq's family is woven into it. Politics in the country was turned on its head last August after weeks of deadly protests triggered the ousting of longstanding prime minister Sheikh Hasina and her Awami League regime. From there, a temporary government took charge led by an interim leader - or 'Chief Adviser' - the Nobel Prize-winning economist Professor Muhammad Yunus. He pledged to begin legal proceedings to investigate crimes and human rights abuses allegedly committed under the previous regime and recover wealth that had been reportedly taken out of the country. In March, my colleague Cordelia Lynch and who was clear about where the blame lay. "Everybody was involved in it all," he said. "The whole government was involved in it." He vowed action against Sheikh Hasina and those close to her. Which is where Ms Siddiq enters the story. As well as being the niece of the former prime minister, she is also the granddaughter of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman - the founding president of modern Bangladesh. Tulip Siddiq's mother Sheikh Rehana has also been intimately involved in Bangladeshi politics and was reportedly by the side of her sister Sheikh Hasina when she fled Dhaka and resigned last August. So these are not tangential or loose links. And they - to an extent - explain why the Bangladeshi authorities are going after the Labour MP so vociferously. In short, they see her as part of an establishment that they believe pilfered and abused Bangladesh for two decades. So is this political guilt by association - in other words, a "vendetta" as Tulip Siddiq puts it - or is there substance to any of the allegations? Some of the claims certainly stretch believability and appear very political in nature. For instance, stories about her benefitting from billions of pounds siphoned off from a Russian nuclear deal appear to have emanated from a dubious-looking American website which also used an AI-generated image of Ms Siddiq to accompany their 'reporting'. The claims spread after a political opponent of Sheikh Hasina in Bangladesh filed a court claim off the back of them - allowing mainstream UK news outlets to safely report on the story. Other accusations around the allocation of land are potentially more plausible, but as yet no hard evidence has emerged to back up the claims. There are some parts of this story that look trickier for Ms Siddiq though. Property documentation does show links between her and associates of the Awami League. The Bangladeshi authorities argue this means the Labour MP may have - even unknowingly - benefitted from wealth corruptly taken out of the country and used to purchase flats and houses in the UK. Ms Siddiq says this has been looked at by the Number 10 ethics adviser and found to be in order. Briefing from sources close to the MP also suggests a defence that these property links were born out of regular family relationships rather than anything more political or financial in nature. But a photo of Ms Siddiq in the Kremlin with her aunt in 2013 as well as the fact that she thanked Awami League supporters after her 2015 election suggests a more political context. That said, disentangling politics and family when you are descended from one-time political royalty and standing as an MP in a city with a large Asian community may be easier said than done. The Number 10 probe did suggest she should have been more mindful of the possible reputational damage done by these connections. So this is a saga shaped more by Bangladeshi politics than British politics. A country getting to grips with its past and preparing for the future, but producing side effects in the process that are reaching these shores.
Telegraph
11 hours ago
- Telegraph
Tulip Siddiq calls Bangladeshi corruption investigation ‘smear campaign'
Tulip Siddiq has accused the interim leader of Bangladesh of conducting an 'orchestrated campaign' to damage her reputation. The former anti-corruption minister, who was forced to resign earlier this year following corruption allegations, said Professor Muhammad Yunus is 'interfering with UK politics'. The Labour MP also claimed comments he made in a Sky News interview have prejudiced her right to a fair investigation, and called for the ongoing corruption inquiries into her to be dropped. Bangladesh's Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has opened several investigations into Ms Siddiq alleging corruption in connection with the government of her aunt, Sheikh Hasina, who was ousted as the country's prime minister last year. In March, Prof Yunus told Sky News that Ms Siddiq 'has so many (sic) wealth left behind here' and 'should be made responsible'. As the chief adviser of Bangladesh, he is effectively the country's interim leader. In correspondence sent to Prof Yunus and the ACC, lawyers for the former minister wrote: 'The time has now come for the chief adviser and the ACC to abandon their wholly misconceived and unlawful campaign to smear Ms Siddiq's reputation and interfere with her public service.' Bangladeshi authorities previously said they have evidence to back up their claims of corruption and will pursue action through the country's courts. Ms Siddiq told Sky News: 'I will not be allowing them to drag me into their world of dirty politics and nothing is going to stop me from pursuing the job that I was elected to do with an overwhelming majority, which is representing the people of Hampstead and Highgate. 'So they need to stop this political vendetta, this smear campaign, and this malicious persecution right from the beginning.' The MP had requested a meeting with the Bangladeshi leader during an official visit to the UK earlier this month to 'clear up' any misunderstandings. But he turned her down, saying he did not want to 'interrupt a legal procedure'. In the new legal letter, lawyers for Ms Siddiq say the interim leader had already unfairly influenced the inquiries through previous comments. 'The copious briefings to the media, the failure to respond to our letters, the failure to even ask to meet with and question Ms Siddiq during their recent visit to the United Kingdom are impossible to justify and completely inconsistent with a fair, lawful and serious investigation,' reads the letter. Party banned from elections The correspondence also sets a deadline of 30 June 2025 for the Bangladeshi authorities to reply, stating that 'in the absence of a full and proper response… Ms Siddiq will consider this matter closed'. Last month, Prof Yunus banned the Awami League - the political party still led by Sheikh Hasina - from standing in the coming elections. Earlier this year, it was revealed that Ms Siddiq had lived in several London properties that had links to the Awami League. She referred herself to the prime minister's standards adviser, Sir Laurie Magnus, who said he had 'not identified evidence of improprieties', but added it was 'regrettable' that Ms Siddiq had not been more alert to the 'potential reputational risks' of the ties to her aunt. Ms Siddiq said continuing in her role would be 'a distraction' for the government, but insisted she had done nothing wrong.
Sky News
13 hours ago
- Sky News
Tulip Siddiq: Labour MP accuses Bangladesh's leader of 'orchestrated campaign' to damage her reputation
Former minister Tulip Siddiq has accused the leader of Bangladesh of conducting an "orchestrated campaign" to damage her reputation and "interfere with UK politics", according to a new legal letter seen by Sky News. The Labour MP also said comments made by Professor Muhammad Yunus in a Sky News interview have prejudiced her right to a fair investigation, meaning the ongoing corruption inquiries into her should be dropped. In March, the chief adviser - who is effectively the country's interim leader - told Sky News that Ms Siddiq "has so many (sic) wealth left behind here" and "should be made responsible". 8:10 Bangladesh's Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has opened several investigations into Ms Siddiq alleging corruption in connection with the government of her aunt Sheikh Hasina, who was ousted as the country's prime minister last year. In the new correspondence sent today to Professor Yunus and the ACC, lawyers for the former minister write: "The time has now come for the chief adviser and the ACC to abandon their wholly misconceived and unlawful campaign to smear Ms Siddiq's reputation and interfere with her public service." Sky News has approached the chief adviser and the ACC for comment. The Bangladeshi authorities have previously said they have evidence to back up their claims of corruption and will pursue action through the country's courts. 2:35 Speaking to Sky News on Monday, Ms Siddiq said: "I will not be allowing them to drag me into their world of dirty politics and nothing is going to stop me from pursuing the job that I was elected to do with an overwhelming majority, which is representing the people of Hampstead and Highgate. "So they need to stop this political vendetta, this smear campaign, and this malicious persecution right from the beginning." The MP had requested a meeting with the Bangladeshi leader during an official visit to the UK earlier this month to "clear up" any misunderstandings. But this was turned down by the chief adviser, who said he did not want to "interrupt a legal procedure". 0:29 In the new legal letter, lawyers for Ms Siddiq say the interim leader had already unfairly influenced the inquiries through previous comments. "The copious briefings to the media, the failure to respond to our letters, the failure to even ask to meet with and question Ms Siddiq during their recent visit to the United Kingdom are impossible to justify and completely inconsistent with a fair, lawful and serious investigation," reads the letter. The correspondence also sets a deadline of 30 June 2025 for the Bangladeshi authorities to reply by, stating that "in the absence of a full and proper response… Ms Siddiq will consider this matter closed". A former Nobel Prize winning economist, Professor Muhammad Yunus became interim leader of Bangladesh last August after weeks of deadly protests forced Sheikh Hasina from power. He has pledged to root out corruption and recover alleged stolen wealth before holding votes to elect a permanent administration. 0:47 Last month, Professor Yunus banned the Awami League - the political party still led by Sheikh Hasina - from standing in the coming elections. That led to criticism from those still loyal to the former prime minister, with protests also sparking in the country over jobs, pay and planned reforms. Earlier this year, it was revealed that Tulip Siddiq had lived in several London properties that had links back to the Awami League. She referred herself to the prime minister's standards adviser Sir Laurie Magnus who said he had "not identified evidence of improprieties" but added it was "regrettable" Ms Siddiq had not been more alert to the "potential reputational risks" of the ties to her aunt. Ms Siddiq said continuing in her role would be "a distraction" for the government but insisted she had done nothing wrong. Sheikh Hasina is currently standing trial in absentia in Dhaka over alleged killings during last summer's civil unrest. Asked by Sky News if she had any regrets about links to the Awami league, Ms Siddiq said: "The main thing I would say to you, I'm very proud to be the MP for Hampstead and Highgate. I was born in London, I grew up in London. I went to school here and now I'm an MP here." In March, Sky News revealed that UK investigators could assist with probes into alleged grand corruption during Hasina's time in power. Staff from the National Crime Agency visited Bangladesh in October and November as part of initial work to support the interim government in the country. Last month, the NCA confirmed it had secured a "freezing order" against a property in north London linked to Ms Siddiq's family. She denies all the allegations - and sources close to the MP say the authorities have been sending correspondence to an address in Dhaka that has no connection with her.
