NN Online:
Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Chairman Abdul Momen has questioned why UK MP Tulip Siddiq resigned from her ministerial post if she claims to be innocent of corruption allegations.
Speaking at a press briefing in Dhaka on Monday, Momen said Tulip is facing three graft cases in Bangladesh, with a fourth pending. “If she’s innocent, why step down? Why send legal letters?” he asked.
Tulip, niece of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, stepped down in January following her aunt’s fall from power in the wake of a mass student uprising. She had served as a junior minister in the UK government.
Momen said Tulip is considered a Bangladeshi citizen based on official income and tax records, including Tk 900,000 earned from a fish farm and a notable increase in gold holdings. “Switching identities between British and Bangladeshi for convenience is not acceptable,” he added.
The ACC has issued summons to Tulip and may publish notices in newspapers if she fails to respond. Allegations include irregularities in a RAJUK plot and a Gulshan property.
Momen also revealed that Tulip sought a meeting with Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus during his UK visit, aiming to explain the situation, but Yunus declined. “Under the law, an accused cannot expect a personal meeting,” the ACC chief said.
Tulip’s letter had called the situation a “misunderstanding” and invited Yunus for tea at the House of Commons. He did not respond.
The ACC continues its investigation into Hasina and her family members, including Tulip and her mother, Sheikh Rehana.
