Tulip Siddiq brands Bangladesh trial a ‘farce'
The former City minister, who is being tried in her absence, accused authorities in Dhaka of 'peddling false and vexatious allegations' and said the case was ' built on fabricated accusations '
Ms Siddiq, along with her mother Sheikh Rehana and sister Azmina Siddique, and brother Radwan Mujib Siddique, known as Bobby, are facing multiple corruption charges in relation to the allocation of plots in one of the largest housing projects in the country.
The Labour MP is the niece of Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh's authoritarian former prime minister, who fled the country after she was ousted last year following a violent crackdown on student protesters.
As the trial began on Wednesday, Ms Siddiq launched a fresh attack on the Bangladesh government headed by interim leader Prof Muhammad Yunus, and the legal proceedings, saying she had not even received a court summons.
'False and vexatious' allegations
'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,' she posted on X.
'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.'
Ms Siddiq, 42, said that Prof Yunus had refused her offer to meet when he recently visited London and claimed he was smearing her name to 'score political points'.
'Even my offer to meet … Muhammad Yunus during his recent visit to London was refused,' she wrote. '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.'
On the first day of the trial, it was claimed Ms Siddiq 'exerted pressure and influence' on Sheikh Hasina to illegally hand land to her mother and siblings.
Bangladesh's Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) alleges Sheikh Hasina, in collusion with senior officials, unlawfully obtained six plots of 7,200sq ft each in the diplomatic zone of Sector 27 of the Purbachal New Town project for herself and her family.
Muhammad Salahuddin, the ACC deputy director, who heads the investigation, recorded his statement before Judge Muhammad Rabiul Alam, of Dhaka Special Judge Court-4, saying the former prime minister concealed ownership of housing facilities in Dhaka in violation of existing laws.
The ACC has filed six separate cases with Hasina accused in each, while Ms. Siddiq has been named as an abettor in three corruption cases also involving her mother and two siblings.
Ms. Siddiq 'manipulated and influenced Sheikh Hasina, who by virtue of her direct influence and under the special powers granted to her, abused the authority vested in her in breach of public trust to attain the property', claimed Mr Salahuddin.
'A perusal of the records collected during the course of the investigation also reveals that the accused, Sheikh Hasina, influenced the allotment of the plots in the Purbachal New City Project in favour of the accused Sheikh Rehana, in violation of the rules,' he added.
The court has set the next hearing as Aug 28.
The ACC has opened several investigations into Ms Siddiq, alleging corruption in connection with the government of Sheikh Hasina, who fled to India last year after a mass uprising against her dictatorial rule.
The ACC has listed all accused as fugitives and on July 31, charges were framed against 28 people, including Ms Siddiq, Sheikh Hasina and other family members, as well as several current and former officials of the ministry of housing and public works.
Ms Siddiq has not appeared at any of the pre-trial hearings so far. The court previously issued a warrant for her arrest in April.
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