Reza Mahmud :
Amid corruption row, UK Anti-Corruption Minister Tulip Siddiq has resigned finally as she was under increasing pressure over ties to her aunt Sheikh Hasina, the ousted prime minister of Bangladesh, and the use of properties in London linked to allies of Hasina.
Tulip wrote resignation letter to the UK Prime Minister on Tuesday.
Tulip had previously referred herself to Sir Laurie Magnus, the Prime Minister’s ethics adviser.
In a letter to the Prime Minister on Tuesday, Sir Laurie said he should “consider her ongoing responsibilities” even though he did not believe that the Ministerial Code had been breached.
But in her own letter to Sir Keir, Tulip admitted that her continued service on the front bench was “likely to be a distraction from the work of the Government”.
Sir Keir responded by saying it was “with sadness” he accepted her resignation as the economic secretary to the Treasury.
Earlier this week, the MP for Hampstead and Highgate was named by investigators in Bangladesh in a second corruption investigation over a plot of land her family received “illegally” from her despot aunt’s government.
Earlier, Sky News has revealed that Tulip previously boasted about her connections to Bangladesh’s former ruling party, the Awami League, in blog posts from 2008 and 2009. Furthermore, she has reportedly resided in several London properties linked to alleged associates of her aunt, Sheikh Hasina’s, regime.
Experts have suggested that the UK government must launch a thorough investigation into Siddiq’s alleged influence in her aunt’s political affairs and her purported illicit financial gains.
When approached for comment, Barrister AM Mahbub Uddin Khokon, President of the Supreme Court Bar Association, told The New Nation on Tuesday, “We have learned from media reports that UK Minister Tulip Siddiq admitted to receiving properties in the UK as gifts from several businessmen.
This matter warrants thorough investigation to determine the identities of these individuals. Some so-called businessmen have misappropriated public funds from Bangladesh and allegedly gifted properties to Hasina’s relatives to gain her favour.” He added that if any foreign politician benefits from public wealth in such a manner, they must be held accountable.
UK Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has since called for Siddiq’s suspension as a minister. The UK Anti-Corruption Coalition has also stated that she should step aside from her current responsibilities regarding money laundering and economic crime.
“The clear conflict of interest surrounding Tulip Siddiq presents a significant test for the new government. As anti-corruption experts, it is evident to us that she should not be responsible for these sensitive areas in her portfolio,” said Peter Munro, Senior Coordinator at the Anti-Corruption Coalition.
Sky News has obtained an affidavit- a legal written statement-filed by Bangladesh’s Anti-Corruption Commission, accusing Siddiq and others of fraudulently acquiring plots in the diplomatic zone of a development near the capital, Dhaka.
Born on 16 September 1982 in Sutton, London, Tulip Siddiq is the daughter of former Dhaka University professor Shafique Ahmed Siddique and Sheikh Rehana, who sought political asylum in the UK as a teenager. Reports suggest that Siddiq leveraged her aunt’s political influence in Bangladesh while also exerting control over the UK Awami League for various purposes.
Furthermore, Labour Party campaign materials featuring Tulip Siddiq have allegedly been discovered in the ruins of the ransacked official residence of former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
The Treasury minister, who is responsible for tackling financial crime, is currently under investigation by standards watchdog Sir Laurie Magnus, following concerns regarding her connections to Hasina, who was removed from power last year after widespread protests against her rule.
Sheikh Hasina herself is now under investigation by Bangladesh’s Anti-Corruption Commission, with reports suggesting that Siddiq has been named as part of the case. Additionally, she has been accused of brokering a 2013 nuclear power plant deal with Russia, in which large sums of money were allegedly embezzled.
Concerns have also been raised over Siddiq’s residence in properties in London linked to individuals closely associated with her aunt. She referred herself to Sir Laurie Magnus last Monday, asserting that she had done nothing wrong.
In her letter requesting an investigation, she maintained her innocence. However, The Times has reported that Siddiq’s campaign materials were found among luxury items and official documents in the ransacked Dhaka residence of her aunt.
The newspaper shared images of the flyers amid the debris. The property, located in Bangladesh’s capital, allegedly contained Chanel and Swarovski bags, a certificate for a diamond, and a $1,500 gold-trimmed Montblanc pen.
A Sky News document states: “While serving as a Member of the British Parliament, it is known that [Ms Tulip] exerted pressure and influence on her aunt, former Prime Minister Hasina, to take measures for the allotment of plots in the same project in the names of her mother, Mrs Rehana Siddiq, her sister Ms Azmina Siddiq, and her brother Mr Radwan Mujib Siddiq.”
Akhtar Hossain, Director General of the Bangladesh Anti-Corruption Commission, told Sky News: “Tulip Siddiq and former Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina misused their power to acquire plots from the Purbachal New Town Project.”
With increasing scrutiny from both UK and Bangladeshi authorities, calls for Siddiq’s resignation continue to intensify.
