Tulip linked to Dhaka luxury tower block
News Desk :
Labour MP Tulip Siddiq was reportedly listed as a resident of a luxury 10-storey tower block in Dhaka named after her family, according to official documents from 2014, The Telegraph has reported. At the time, Siddiq was serving as a councillor in Camden, North London.
The property, located in the upscale Gulshan area, is the fifth in Bangladesh to be associated with Siddiq through various reports and legal documents.
Labour sources, however, have stated that Siddiq does not own any properties in Bangladesh and maintain that she has no obligation to address questions about addresses that are not her own.
They emphasised that she was residing in London, not Bangladesh, during the period in question.
This revelation follows ongoing scrutiny of Siddiq’s property affairs and her connection to her aunt, Sheikh Hasina, the former Prime Minister of Bangladesh.
Siddiq resigned as City Minister nearly a month ago after Sir Laurie Magnus, the Prime Minister’s ethics adviser, found that she had inadvertently misled the public regarding a flat gifted to her by an individual linked to the Awami League party, led by Sheikh Hasina.
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) of Bangladesh is currently investigating several allegations concerning Siddiq. These include a family holiday home in Kanaiya, which features a plot named “Tulip’s Territory,” as well as claims of embezzlement involving £4 billion in a nuclear power plant deal with Russia.
She is also accused of using her influence to facilitate the illegal allocation of land for her family in Dhaka. Siddiq has categorically denied these allegations, asserting that no evidence has been presented against her and that she has not been contacted by any investigative bodies regarding the matters.
The luxury tower in Gulshan, reportedly built on land owned by a member of Siddiq’s family, features amenities such as a roof terrace and spacious apartments with balconies.
It remains unclear whether her family still owns any units in the building or whom specifically the tower was named after.
Siddiq’s father, Shafique Ahmed Siddique, a professor at Dhaka University, was listed as a resident there until recently, according to an online biography.
In addition to this property, Siddiq has been linked to another address in Gulshan and her aunt’s house in Dhanmondi through court documents.
The latter property was recently targeted by protesters following a speech by Sheikh Hasina.
Images in local media showed a photograph of Siddiq at her graduation hanging on a damaged door frame, with a fire burning in the background.
Siddiq has also faced questions regarding a flat in Dhaka co-owned with a family member, which was sold in 2015 for over £100,000, as disclosed in Parliament’s Register of Interests.
Furthermore, the ACC is investigating a family holiday home bearing the inscription “Tulip’s Territory.”
Siddiq has denied that the entire estate is named after her and asserts that she does not own the property.
Labour, speaking on Siddiq’s behalf, declined to comment on the property in Gulshan named after her family.
However, sources reiterated that she does not own any property in Bangladesh and was residing in London during the relevant period.
The ACC’s investigations are ongoing. Siddiq continues to deny any wrongdoing, stressing that no formal evidence has been presented against her.
Sources: This article is based on reporting by The Telegraph.