Labour MP Tulip Siddiq, daughter of Sheikh Rehana and niece of ex-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, has formally requested a meeting with interim Bangladeshi leader Muhammad Yunus during his upcoming visit to London. Her goal: to confront and dispel serious corruption allegations that have clouded both her and her mother’s reputations.
The request comes amid charges from Bangladesh’s Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), which accuses Siddiq and her mother of improperly acquiring a 7,200-square-foot plot of land during Hasina’s 15-year tenure—a claim Siddiq strongly rejects as politically motivated and lacking legal merits . She insists she holds no property or business interests in Bangladesh, stating that she is a British-born UK MP, with no involvement in her aunt’s government or its dealings .
Though Siddiq was cleared by the UK’s Adviser on Ministerial Standards, Laurie Magnus, she voluntarily resigned as Economic Secretary to the Treasury in January, citing the controversy as a distraction to PM Keir Starmer’s new administration . Her lawyers have criticized the ACC’s process for failing to engage with her UK-based representatives and airing allegations via the media without formal legal channels .
In her letter to Yunus, Siddiq wrote:
> “I hope a meeting might help clear up the misunderstanding perpetuated by the anti‑corruption committee … I have no property nor any business interests whatsoever in Bangladesh … I am a UK citizen, born in London and representing the people of Hampstead and Highgate in parliament for the last decade.”
“Every move in this fantasy investigation is briefed to the media … no engagement was facilitated with my legal team. I know you’ll appreciate how important it is to ensure those reports do not become a distraction …”
Siddiq’s letter was reportedly emailed and posted ahead of Yunus’s London engagements, which include meetings with King Charles and PM Starmer . However, Shafiqul Alam, press secretary to Yunus, told Dhaka Tribune that no letter has been received as of Sunday afternoon, adding that the government “cannot comment on something we have not seen” .
The ACC’s investigation follows a broader probe into Sheikh Hasina’s regime, based on allegations by political rival Bobby Hajjaj, who claims the former government misappropriated billions in infrastructure funds. Earlier this week, an arrest warrant was issued for Siddiq in Bangladesh, but the UK has not acted on it due to insufficient evidence .
Siddiq’s proactive outreach to Yunus highlights her determination to confront the controversy head-on. She firmly rejects accusations of benefiting from close family ties, emphasizing her British nationality and independent life and career in the UK .
Her move also reflects the extraordinary political turbulence in Bangladesh following a 2024 uprising and subsequent transitional government led by Nobel laureate Yunus, which has aggressively pursued corruption investigations targeting Hasina’s administration. As part of that campaign, authorities have frozen significant assets tied to the ex-Prime Minister and her associates, including nearly £90 million in London properties .
With Yunus’s London trip imminent, Siddiq hopes a meeting will not only help clear her name but also prevent ongoing allegations from clouding her work as an MP. Should their meeting take place, it could offer a rare opportunity to directly contest claims within the interim government’s framework and calm escalating diplomatic tensions.
Source: The Guardian
