British Labour MP Tulip Siddiq has been convicted and sentenced to two years imprisonment by a Bangladeshi court for corruption-related offenses, tried in absentia alongside sixteen other defendants. The ruling centers on allegations that Siddiq improperly influenced her aunt, former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, to obtain a land allocation for family members on the outskirts of Dhaka—charges the London-based parliamentarian vehemently denies.
The verdict, delivered by Judge Rabiul Alam, includes a financial penalty of 100,000 Bangladeshi Taka (approximately $821), with an additional six-month prison term stipulated for non-payment. Despite the sentence, Siddiq is unlikely to serve time given the UK’s lack of an extradition treaty with Bangladesh and her status as a sitting British MP.
This case emerges amid widespread legal actions initiated by Bangladeshi prosecutors following the ouster of Hasina’s government in July 2024. The former prime minister herself recently received a death sentence in a separate trial concerning crimes against humanity during anti-government protests.
Siddiq’s legal representatives contest the jurisdiction of Bangladeshi courts, maintaining that she holds no Bangladeshi citizenship or official documentation. The trial has drawn international scrutiny, with prominent British legal figures—including former Justice Secretary Robert Buckland and human rights lawyer Cherie Blair—questioning the fairness of proceedings and noting Siddiq’s inability to secure adequate legal representation.
The MP previously resigned from her Treasury ministerial position in January to avoid becoming a ‘distraction’ for the UK government, though an ethics investigation found no evidence of impropriety. She continues to face multiple additional charges in Bangladesh, including investigations into property transfers and a nuclear power plant deal during Hasina’s administration.