Staff Reporter:
Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk has commented on the resignation of Tulip Siddiq, the UK’s Anti-Corruption minister, amid a controversy regarding her links to her aunt, the ousted Bangladeshi prime minister Sheikh Hasina.
In a tweet dated 15 January 2025, Musk remarked, “The Labour minister for child welfare shields the predators and their anti-corruption minister is corrupt,” retweeting a post by Mario Nawfal.
As Elon Musk is set to become a member of US President-elect Donald Trump’s upcoming cabinet, experts have noted that his remark carries significant potential implications for the allies of the deposed Sheikh Hasina and the policies of the next US administration.
Tulip, who was tasked with addressing corruption in financial markets, was implicated last month in an anti-corruption investigation in Bangladesh targeting Hasina. The investigation alleges that Tulip’s family played a role in brokering a 2013 agreement with Russia for a nuclear power plant in Bangladesh, during which substantial sums of money were reportedly embezzled.
Tulip, who also served as economic secretary to the treasury, announced her resignation, citing concerns that the controversy had become “a distraction from the work of the government.”
Further scrutiny arose over her connections to her aunt’s government following reports in the Sunday Times and Financial Times alleging that Siddiq had used two London apartments provided by associates of Bangladesh’s ruling Awami League, led by Hasina.
Magnus, Tulip’s independent adviser, concluded that she had not breached ministerial standards. However, he added, “Given her role in government, it is regrettable that she was not more vigilant about the potential reputational risks — both to herself and the government — arising from her close family’s association with Bangladesh.”
The resignation underscores the challenges of navigating family ties and political integrity within public office.
