Tulip Siddiq, the Labour Member of Parliament representing Hampstead and Highgate in North London, has firmly denied allegations of wrongdoing following reports that Bangladeshi authorities have issued an arrest warrant against her. This warrant reportedly stems from corruption allegations linked to the acquisition of a land plot in Dhaka.
According to media sources, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) of Bangladesh sought the warrant on Sunday, claiming that Ms Siddiq illegally received a 7,200 square-foot plot of land in the capital city. However, Siddiq's legal representatives have refuted these claims, stating that she had no prior knowledge of any warrant issued against her and characterising the allegations as “politically motivated.”
In their statement, Siddiq’s lawyers asserted, “The ACC has made various allegations against Ms Siddiq through the media in the last few months. The allegations are completely false and have been dealt with in writing by Ms Siddiq’s lawyers.” They further clarified that the ACC had not provided any evidence to substantiate the claims made against her. The lawyers added, “Ms Siddiq knows nothing about a hearing in Dhaka relating to her and she has no knowledge of any arrest warrant that is said to have been issued. To be clear, there is no basis at all for any charges to be made against her, and there is absolutely no truth in any allegation that she received a plot of land in Dhaka through illegal means.” They emphatically stated that she has never owned land in Bangladesh or influenced land allocations for family members.
These allegations come amid a broader investigation involving Ms Siddiq’s aunt, Sheikh Hasina, who is the former Prime Minister of Bangladesh. Ms Siddiq has also been implicated in a separate inquiry related to a nuclear power plant deal, although details and outcomes of that investigation remain vague.
Earlier this year, Tulip Siddiq resigned from her position in the Treasury following an investigation led by the Prime Minister’s ethics adviser into her connections with her aunt's government, which was overthrown in 2022. While the ethics adviser, Sir Laurie Magnus, concluded that she had not breached the Ministerial Code, he suggested that Keir Starmer, the Labour Party leader, might want to reconsider her responsibilities in light of the potential reputational risks associated with her family's ties to Bangladesh. Despite this, Ms Siddiq chose to step down, admitting she had become “a distraction” from the Government's agenda.
Following the issuance of the arrest warrant, a spokesperson for the Conservative Party commented that Ms Siddiq “should immediately stand down as a Labour MP” amid these serious allegations. As of now, the ACC has yet to respond to requests for comment regarding the ongoing situation.
Source: Noah Wire Services