Bangladesh issues arrest warrant for Hasina’s niece
AUTHORITIES in Bangladesh have issued an arrest warrant for British MP and former Labour minister Tulip Siddiq, BBC reported on Sunday.
Bangladesh’s Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has been investigating allegations that Ms Siddiq illegally received land as part of its wider probe of the regime of her aunt, Sheikh Hasina, who was deposed as prime minister in August.
The ACC is examining claims that Ms Hasina and her family embezzled up to £3.9bn from infrastructure spending in Bangladesh.
Ms Siddiq became a member of Parliament (MP) from the Hampstead and Highgate constituency in London in July 2024.
She served as economic secretary to the Treasury and City Minister from July 2024 until her resignation in January 2025.
Ms Siddiq’s lawyers denied the charges, which they said were “politically motivated”.
The ACC had not presented any evidence or informed Ms Siddiq about an arrest warrant, the lawyers added.
The UK has an extradition treaty with Bangladesh, but the latter has to provide evidence in support of any request for extradition before ministers and judges make a decision.
The ACC investigation into Ms Haseena’s family was initiated after allegations made by Bobby Hajjaj, her political opponent.
Court documents seen by the BBC show Mr Hajjaj has accused Ms Siddiq of helping to broker a deal with Russia in 2013 that overinflated the price of a new nuclear power plant in Bangladesh.
In a statement seen by the BBC, Ms Siddiq’s lawyers said the allegations were “completely false”.
“The ACC has not responded to Siddiq or put any allegations to her directly or through her lawyers.”
As per the lawyers, Ms Siddiq neither knew about ACC’s hearing in Dhaka nor about any arrest warrant that 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.”
“No evidence has been provided by the ACC to support this or any other allegation made against Siddiq, and it is clear to us that the charges are politically motivated.”
Published in Dawn, April 14th, 2025