Ex-UK minister Tulip Siddiq sentenced to two years in Bangladesh corruption case

Labour MP found guilty in absentia over land allocation scandal linked to her aunt, former prime minister Sheikh Hasina.

British MP Tulip Siddiq has been sentenced to two years in jail by a Bangladesh court in a high-profile corruption case involving former prime minister Sheikh Hasina and disputed land allocations.
Imran Malik – MediaBites – December 1, 2025

A Bangladesh court has sentenced British MP and former UK minister Tulip Siddiq to two years in jail in a corruption case tied to the controversial allocation of government land — a verdict that has triggered political shockwaves in Dhaka and London. Siddiq, a Labour MP for Hampstead and Highgate, was found guilty of using her influence over her aunt, Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh’s deposed prime minister, to bypass eligibility rules in the approval of plots in a Dhaka-area housing scheme.

The verdict was delivered in absentia, as Siddiq, Sheikh Hasina, and Hasina’s sister Sheikh Rehana — Siddiq’s mother — were all outside Bangladesh. The UK has no extradition treaty with Bangladesh, making enforcement of the sentence unlikely.

Dhaka Special Judge Rabiul Alam ruled that Hasina “misused her power” as prime minister, sentencing her to five years in prison, while Rehana received a seven-year term. Prosecutors alleged that Siddiq “personally pushed” for plots to be allotted to family members, presenting documents, digital conversations, and witness statements to support their claims.

Mainul Hasan of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) said Siddiq directly communicated with Hasina’s principal secretary to secure the approvals, calling the allocations a clear violation of government rules.

The case comes amid sweeping corruption probes launched after Hasina’s dramatic ouster in August 2024, when student-led protests toppled her 15-year rule, forcing her to flee to India. She was later sentenced to death in absentia for crimes against humanity related to the deadly crackdown preceding her fall. The interim government of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has since intensified investigations into Hasina’s administration and banned the Awami League from political activity.

Siddiq has rejected the charges as “a persecution and a farce,” thanking international lawyers — including Cherie Blair — for highlighting what she called fundamental flaws in Bangladesh’s judicial process. UK minister Darren Jones said Siddiq firmly denies wrongdoing and views the case as “more political than legal.”

The Awami League, speaking for the Hasina family, dismissed the verdict as predictable and politically motivated, insisting no credible evidence of corruption exists.