Latest news with #PurbachalNewTownProject
Yahoo
13-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Tulip Siddiq hit with arrest warrant on corruption charges
An arrest warrant has been issued for Tulip Siddiq accusing her of receiving a plot of land illegally from her despot aunt's government. Bangladesh's Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) believes the former City minister received a 7,200 square feet plot in the diplomatic zone of the capital Dhaka through 'abuse of power and influence'. A spokesman for the ACC confirmed to The Telegraph on Sunday that an arrest warrant had been issued over illegally receiving a plot in the Purbachal New Town Project. The case is separate from a £4 billion embezzlement investigation by the ACC into a nuclear deal struck by Sheikh Hasina, the ousted prime minister, which Ms Siddiq has also been named in. Ms Siddiq, who resigned from the UK government in January amid scrutiny of her links to Ms Hasina, has been named in three Bangladeshi enquiries. She has denied the charges and accused the Bangladeshi government of a 'targeted and baseless' campaign against her and asked why it had briefed the media but not put its allegations to her directly. Last month, in a letter, she accused Bangladesh's ACC of an 'unacceptable attempt to interfere with UK politics'. The ACC petitioned the Bangladeshi courts on March 10, asking for a travel ban to be imposed on Ms Hasina, Ms Siddiq and other family members. On April 10, the same court had earlier issued arrest warrants against Ms Hasina, her daughter Saima Wazed, and 16 others in another corruption case involving plot allocation. There is no formal extradition treaty between the UK and Bangladesh. The Telegraph has contacted Tulip Siddiq for a response. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
13-04-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Tulip Siddiq hit with arrest warrant on corruption charges
An arrest warrant has been issued for Tulip Siddiq accusing her of receiving a plot of land illegally from her despot aunt's government. Bangladesh's Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) believes the former City minister received a 7,200 square feet plot in the diplomatic zone of the capital Dhaka through 'abuse of power and influence'. A spokesman for the ACC confirmed to The Telegraph on Sunday that an arrest warrant had been issued over illegally receiving a plot in the Purbachal New Town Project. The case is separate from a £4 billion embezzlement investigation by the ACC into a nuclear deal struck by Sheikh Hasina, the ousted Prime Minister, which Ms Siddiq has also been named in. Ms Siddiq, who resigned from the UK government in January amid scrutiny of her links to Ms Hasina, has been named in three Bangladeshi enquiries. She has denied the charges and accused the Bangladeshi government of a 'targeted and baseless' campaign against her and asked why it had briefed the media but not put its allegations to her directly. Last month, in a letter, she accused Bangladesh's ACC of an 'unacceptable attempt to interfere with UK politics'. The ACC petitioned the Bangladeshi courts on March 10, asking for a travel ban to be imposed on Ms Hasina, Ms Siddiq and other family members. On April 10, the same court had earlier issued arrest warrants against Hasina, her daughter Saima Wazed, and 16 others in another corruption case involving plot allocation. There is no formal extradition treaty between the UK and Bangladesh.
Telegraph
19-03-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Tulip Siddiq hit with court-ordered travel ban
A Bangladeshi court has issued a travel ban on Tulip Siddiq, the former Treasury minister. The court also ordered the seizure of a flat in Dhaka previously owned by the Labour MP before she transferred it to her sister. The court order comes as part of an investigation into alleged corruption involving Sheik Hasina, Ms Siddiq's aunt and a former prime minister of Bangladesh. It has been alleged that Ms Hasina and her family misappropriated billions of pounds of state money, something they deny. Ms Siddiq, who resigned from the UK Government in January amid scrutiny of her links to Ms Hasina, has been named in three Bangladeshi inquiries. The most serious accuses Ms Hasina and family members including Ms Siddiq of involvement in the embezzlement of £4 billion from a nuclear power plant deal with Russia. On Tuesday, however, Ms Siddiq accused the Bangladeshi government of a 'targeted and baseless' campaign against her, and asked why it had briefed the media but not put its allegations to her directly. In a letter, she accused Bangladesh's anti-corruption commission (ACC) of an 'unacceptable attempt to interfere with UK politics'. A spokesman told The Telegraph on Ms Siddiq's behalf: 'If any legitimate authority in Bangladesh has any credible allegations against Tulip Siddiq they should contact her lawyers, not talk to the press.' Courts petitioned The ACC petitioned the Bangladeshi courts on March 10, asking for a travel ban to be imposed on Ms Hasina, Ms Siddiq and other members of their family. It also requested the seizure of Ms Siddiq's former flat on the second floor of a building in Gulshan Residential Model Town, which she transferred to her sister in June 2015. Zakir Hossain Galib, a Dhaka metropolitan senior special judge, issued the order to seize it. 'The petition was allowed in the interest of the fair investigation and the immovable assets described in the petition have been attached,' said Mr Galib in his order, a copy of which The Telegraph has obtained. The court order tells the city's deputy commissioner that the 'attached immovable property cannot be transferred/exchanged under any circumstances while the attachment order is in force'. The ACC accused Ms Siddiq of illegally acquiring the 2,436 sq flat and then using forged signatures in an attempt to transfer it to her sister, Azmina Siddiq Ruponti. It alleges that Ms Siddiq's sister took possession of the flat without formally assuming ownership, meaning that both sisters could become eligible for a 10-katha (7,260 sq ft) plot in the Purbachal New Town Project. They both obtained plots, it is understood. The MP denies owning property in Bangladesh and maintains that the property was transferred legally to her sister when she became an MP in 2015. 'The transfer was done in accordance with all legal requirements in Bangladesh and Tulip has all the necessary documents to that effect,' a spokesman for Ms Siddiq said. Under Bangladesh's Allotment of Land rules, applicants for the scheme must not own any residential property or land in Dhaka. Seeking to have the flat seized, the ACC argued that members of Ms Hasina's family including Ms Siddiq were attempting to transfer or conceal their assets. Monirul Islam, the ACC deputy director, told the court: 'The accused individuals were seeking to transfer, relocate, or misappropriate their immovable assets. 'To ensure a fair investigation, it is necessary to prevent them from disposing of these properties until the inquiry is completed.' Travel ban 'necessary' The ACC filed a separate petition saying a travel ban on Ms Siddiq and family members including Ms Hasina was 'absolutely necessary' for a fair investigation of the allegations, and the court directed police to ensure such a ban was imposed. An ACC official told The Telegraph that Ms Siddiq would not be allowed to leave Bangladesh if she entered the country. Ms Siddiq, whose short-lived stint as Treasury minister included combating corruption, referred herself to the Prime Minister's standards adviser in January, after weeks of questions over her use of properties in London linked to her aunt's political party. A spokesman for Ms Siddiq said: 'Following a series of false, vexatious and uncorroborated allegations fed to the media, Tulip Siddiq's lawyers have told the relevant authorities in Bangladesh to stop manufacturing baseless claims against her and to make direct contact with her lawyers if they have any legitimate questions for Ms Siddiq.' When she resigned in January, she referred herself to the Prime Minister's ethics adviser, Sir Laurie Magnus, who said in his report that he had 'not identified evidence of improprieties'. He added that it was 'regrettable' the MP had not been more alert to the 'potential reputational risks' of her ties to her aunt. Ms Hasina, 77, the longest-serving prime minister of Bangladesh, is now in India, having been ousted last August following a brutal response to protests. It is alleged that opponents were attacked, arrested and secretly imprisoned as the regime carried out extrajudicial killings during her premiership.
Telegraph
14-03-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Tulip Siddiq ‘used fake signature to transfer flat to sister'
Former Labour minister Tulip Siddiq allegedly transferred a flat to her sister using a document with a forged signature, Bangladesh's anti-corruption authorities have claimed. Investigators at the country's Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) also allege that Ms Siddiq – the niece of ousted Bangladeshi dictator Sheikh Hasina – illegally acquired the flat in Dhaka's Gulshan area. The claim is part of a wider investigation into the alleged unlawful allocation of state-owned land to former prime minister Hasina, her children, and close relatives. Investigators claim Ms Siddiq made the transfer to her sister, Azmina Siddiq Ruponti, to become eligible for a 10-katha (7,260 sq feet) plot in the Purbachal New Town Project, which she later obtained. Under Bangladesh's Allotment of Land Rules, applicants for the scheme must not own any residential property or land in Dhaka. Investigators also allege that she hid the property from her income tax records from 2015 onwards. The Heba document – an Islamic legal instrument for gifting property – listed Ms Siddiq as the donor and Ms Ruponti as the recipient. It states Ms Siddiq willingly transferred full ownership, title, and parking space of the flat on the second floor of a building in Gulshan Residential Model Town to her sister in June 2015. However, Supreme Court lawyer Gazi Sirazul Islam, whose name appeared as the notary on the document, denied any involvement. 'I never notarised the document. The signatures on the deed don't match with mine and I don't know Tulip or her sister Azmina personally,' Islam told local media. The ownership of the flat made Ms Siddiq's sister also ineligible for a Purbachal plot, said ACC chairman Dr Mohammad Abdul Momen. 'To circumvent regulations, Ruponti allegedly took possession of the Gulshan flat without formally assuming ownership, ensuring that her plot allotment remained undisputed,' he said. The ACC, which has powers to prosecute as well as investigate corruption cases, will now present its charges against Ms Siddiq to the court, whose approval is required before the case proceeds to prosecution – a step largely seen as a mere formality. The ACC alleges that 60 katha (43,560 sq feet) of government land in the Purbachal New Town project – a large residential development on Dhaka's outskirts – was illegally allocated to Hasina and her family. The ACC has launched a number of investigations into Hasina, including a number where Ms Siddiq has been named. The most serious case accuses Hasina and other family members including Ms Siddiq of being involved in the £4 billion embezzlement of funds from a nuclear power plant deal with Russia. 'Full extent of misconduct' to come 'This is merely a glimpse of the larger picture,' Dr Momen said. 'The ongoing investigations are expected to reveal the full extent of financial misconduct tied to the former prime minister and her close relatives. 'Siddiq should have been ineligible for a plot under the land allocation scheme due to her ownership of a flat in Gulshan. However, she and her family carried out the notary fraud to conceal the property's true ownership to secure the prime land.' Ms Siddiq, whose short-lived position as Treasury minister had included combating corruption, had referred herself in January after weeks of questions over her use of properties in London linked to her aunt's political party. Hasina, 77, who had been the longest-serving prime minister of Bangladesh, is now in India, having been ousted last August following her brutal response to protesters. During her tenure, it was alleged that opponents were attacked, arrested and secretly imprisoned as the regime carried out extrajudicial killings. A spokesman for Ms Siddiq said: 'Absolutely no evidence has been presented for these allegations. Tulip Siddiq has not been contacted on these matters and totally denies the claims.'
