Dhaka (TDI): A Bangladesh court has sentenced British Member of Parliament and former UK minister Tulip Siddiq to two years in prison in a corruption case linked to the alleged illegal allotment of a government plot, according to local media reports.
The verdict was delivered in absentia, as Siddiq; her aunt and former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina; and Hasina’s sister Sheikh Rehana were not present in court.
Hasina was handed a five-year prison term, while Rehana received seven years. The case centers on accusations that the land, measuring approximately 13,610 square feet, was unlawfully allocated through political influence and collusion with senior officials during Hasina’s tenure as prime minister.
Prosecutors alleged that the three defendants abused their authority to secure the plot. Most of the 17 accused were absent when the judgment was issued.
Read More: Bangladesh’s Hasina Sentenced to 21 Years for Corruption
Tulip Siddiq, who resigned in January from her UK ministerial role overseeing financial services and anti-corruption policy amid scrutiny over her financial links to Hasina, has previously described the allegations as a “politically motivated smear.”
The ruling adds to a growing list of legal setbacks for Hasina, who fled to India in August 2024 during a popular uprising against her government. Last month, she was sentenced to death in a separate case related to the deadly crackdown on anti-government protesters.
Read More: Dhaka Requests India to Return Hasina After Death Sentence
Additionally, she received a combined 21-year prison sentence last week in multiple corruption cases.The UK and Bangladesh do not have an extradition treaty, making Siddiq’s extradition unlikely under current arrangements.
