Bangladesh has issued an arrest warrant for Tulip Siddiq MP over corruption claims linked to her family.
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) is investigating claims that Siddiq, who is the niece of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, and members of her family, including Hasina, illegally received land in a state-owned township near Dhaka.
A Dhaka judge issued the warrant after reviewing charges in three separate cases filed by the ACC.
Siddiq, who represents Hampstead and Highgate, previously served as economic secretary to the UK Treasury. She resigned from that role in January after being named in the ACC’s investigation.
She was listed in the arrest warrant alongside more than 50 others. The allegations are part of a broader probe into Hasina’s administration, which was removed from power in August after a mass uprising ended her 15-year rule.
Siddiq’s lawyers described the charges as baseless and “politically motivated.” In a statement, they said: “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. She has never had a plot of land in Bangladesh, and she has never influenced any allocation of plots of land to her family members or anyone else.”
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The lawyers added that the ACC had not presented any evidence or contacted Siddiq directly.
The UK lists Bangladesh as a “2B extradition country,” meaning clear evidence must be submitted before any decision is made by ministers or judges.
Allegations
The ACC is also examining claims that Siddiq helped broker a 2013 deal with Russia for a nuclear power plant in Bangladesh, in which large sums were allegedly embezzled. The original allegations were made by a political opponent of Hasina.
Siddiq referred herself to the UK Prime Minister’s ethics adviser when the accusations first emerged. The adviser found no evidence of wrongdoing but said it was “regrettable” that Siddiq had not been more alert to the reputational risks linked to her family connections.
But the ACC chairman defended the investigation, stating that it was “based on documentary evidence of corruption” and not politically motivated.
“Tulip Siddiq must not shy away from the court proceedings in Bangladesh,” he said. “I would welcome Siddiq come and defend her case and with the best possible legal support accompanying her.”
He also rejected suggestions that the ACC was interfering in UK politics, saying media briefings were standard and professionally conducted.
A spokesperson for the Conservative Party said: “If it is the case that Keir Starmer’s choice for anti-corruption minister is the subject of an international arrest warrant for corruption, she should immediately stand down as Labour MP. It is shocking that Keir Starmer believes ‘the door remains open’ for Ms Siddiq returning to a government position.”
Siddiq resigned in January, stating the issue had become a distraction from government work. The Prime Minister left open the possibility of her return in his resignation acceptance letter.
Following Hasina’s ouster, Siddiq’s mother’s home in Dhaka’s Gulshan district was reportedly looted and vandalised. No police case has been filed over the incident.
Hasina has accused the interim government of supporting attacks on her followers across the country. Officials say they are working to restore order.
