A senior Labour MP and former Treasury minister has been handed a two-year prison sentence by a court in Bangladesh, found guilty of corruption charges relating to the acquisition of land plots. Tulip Siddiq, the MP for Hampstead and Highgate, was convicted in absentia on Monday 1 December 2025.
The Charges and Conviction
The Dhaka Special Judge's Court found Siddiq guilty of influencing her aunt, the ousted Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, to obtain three plots of land on the outskirts of the capital. The court ruled she used "abuse of power and influence" to secure the land in a diplomatic zone for family members.
This criminal trial was the culmination of a long-running investigation. When Labour came to power in July 2024, Siddiq was appointed Economic Secretary to the Treasury and City Minister. However, by December of that year, she was named in a probe by Bangladesh's Anti-Corruption Commission, investigating whether her family embezzled nearly £4 billion from major energy and infrastructure deals.
A Political Storm and Ministerial Resignation
The investigation was initiated by Bangladesh's new government, a political opponent of Siddiq's aunt. As scrutiny grew, the Financial Times reported in January 2025 that Siddiq had received a two-bedroom flat near King's Cross in 2004, free of charge, from a developer linked to her aunt's Awami League party.
Amid the controversy over her property holdings and links to the former Bangladeshi regime, Siddiq referred herself to the government's adviser on ministerial standards, Sir Laurie Magnus, on 6 January 2025. While Sir Laurie concluded she had not breached the Ministerial Code, he advised Prime Minister Keir Starmer to reconsider her responsibilities. Siddiq resigned as a minister on 14 January 2025, stating she had become "a distraction" from the government's agenda.
Reaction and Legal Implications
Siddiq, who has consistently denied any wrongdoing, condemned the verdict. She stated, "The whole process has been flawed and farcical from the beginning to the end." She added, "The outcome of this kangaroo court is as predictable as it is unjustified. I hope this so-called 'verdict' will be treated with the contempt it deserves."
The trial was conducted in absentia, meaning Siddiq was not present in Bangladesh. The UK has no extradition treaty with Bangladesh, making any attempt to enforce the sentence highly unlikely. The case highlights the complex intersection of UK politics and international legal jurisdictions, particularly involving figures with strong familial ties abroad.
