A Dhaka court sentenced Tulip Siddiq to two years in jail over a corruption case. Tulip Siddiq, Labour MP for Hampstead and Highgate, denies all wrongdoing. The case focuses on a land allocation in the Purbachal New Town project, a government development in Dhaka.
The court accused Siddiq of influencing her aunt, former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, to secure a plot of land for her mother, Sheikh Rehana. The court sentenced Sheikh Rehana to seven years in prison. Hasina received five years after fleeing to India.
Tulip Siddiq stayed in London throughout the trial, making it highly unlikely that Bangladeshi authorities will imprison her. She denies all claims that she acted improperly.
Several UK legal experts criticized the proceedings. Prominent barristers, including former justice secretary Robert Buckland and former attorney general Dominic Grieve, said Siddiq lacked proper legal representation. They described the trial as “artificial and contrived.”
Siddiq’s legal team highlights that she cannot practically fall under Bangladeshi law. She has not held a Bangladeshi passport since childhood and never owned a voter ID or national ID. These facts make authorities unlikely to enforce her sentence.
Bangladesh does not have an extradition treaty with the UK. Even if officials issue an arrest warrant, UK law does not compel her return. Bangladesh’s “2B” jurisdiction classification requires irrefutable evidence and formal procedures for extradition.
Tulip Siddiq resigned from her ministerial role in January to protect her reputation. UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s ethics review found no evidence that she committed misconduct.
She faces other investigations in Bangladesh, but these proceedings are unlikely to affect her ability to live and work in the UK. Tulip Siddiq continues her parliamentary duties while the Dhaka verdict carries symbolic weight.
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