WEB DESK: A Bangladesh court on Monday sentenced British lawmaker Tulip Siddiq and her mother, Sheikh Rehana sister of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to prison for corruption linked to the illegal acquisition of prime land in the capital. Siddiq, who was tried in absentia, described the trial as “persecution and a farce.”
Sheikh Rehana received a seven-year prison term, while her daughter Siddiq was handed a two-year sentence in the same case, according to Anti-Corruption Commission prosecutor Khan Mainul Hasan.
Sheikh Hasina, convicted of crimes against humanity last month and sentenced to death, along with 14 other officials receiving five-year prison terms, has sought refuge in India after being ousted last year following a student-led uprising. However, the whereabouts of her sister Rehana remain unknown.
Siddiq, who had stepped down as the UK’s anti-corruption minister in January after being implicated in corruption investigations in Bangladesh, argued that the charges against her were politically motivated and baseless, attributing them to her familial ties to Hasina. She claimed they lacked merit and labeled the judicial process as deeply flawed.
Hasan revealed evidence pointing to Siddiq’s involvement in the corruption case, including alleged communications between her and Salahuddin Ahmed, the then-principal secretary to Hasina.
He stated that Siddiq had pressed for the allocation of plots to her mother and other relatives while securing three plots herself—one for personal use and two for her children. Hasan added that encrypted communications and meetings during Siddiq’s visits to Dhaka further highlighted her involvement.
Judge Rabiul Alam delivered the verdict while referencing Quranic verses to assert the court’s jurisdiction over all Bangladeshi nationals, regardless of their location. Prosecutors stated that British authorities would be officially informed of the court’s decision.
