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An arrest warrant for the former City minister Tulip Siddiq has been issued in Bangladesh with a new allegation accusing her of illegally receiving a plot of land from her aunt, the ousted former prime minister Sheikh Hasina.
Bangladeshi media reported the warrant was issued by a judge for 53 people connected to Hasina, including Siddiq. There is no formal extradition treaty between the UK and Bangladesh.
The MP for Hampstead and Highgate has denied allegations of corruption linked to her aunt’s collapsed regime and accused the Bangladeshi authorities of a “targeted and baseless” campaign against her.
Siddiq resigned in January as economic secretary to the Treasury, citing the risk of becoming a distraction and saying the government was being harmed by the furore over her use of properties given to herself and her family by allies of the regime of Hasina.
She was not deemed by Keir Starmer’s ethics adviser to have broken any rules over her use of the homes and he found no evidence to suggest that any of Siddiq’s assets were derived from anything other than legitimate means.
But Laurie Magnus did find a lack of records and said lapse of time meant he had “not been able to obtain comprehensive comfort in relation to all the UK property-related matters”.
A Conservative party spokesperson said: “If it is the case that Keir Starmer’s choice for anti-corruption minister is the subject of an international arrest warrant for corruption, she should immediately stand down as Labour MP.
“It is shocking that Keir Starmer believes ‘the door remains open’ for Ms Siddiq returning to a government position. Keir Starmer must put his close friendship and association with Ms Siddiq aside and take the action he should have months ago.”
Bangladesh’s anti-corruption commission (ACC) has alleged that Siddiq received a 7,200 sq ft plot in the diplomatic zone of the capital, Dhaka, through ties to the former rulers, according to the Sunday Telegraph.
The allegation is that Siddiq persuaded her aunt to allocate three plots of land in the exclusive enclave for her family members, including her mother, Sheikh Rehana, her brother Radwan and her younger sister Azmina. The family are all based in Britain.
The ACC chair, Mohammad Abdul Momen, previously told the BBC the investigations in Bangladesh were “based on documentary evidence of corruption” and Siddiq should return to fight her case in Bangladesh.
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In a statement made through her lawyers on Saturday, Siddiq’s representatives said: “The ACC has made various allegations against Ms Siddiq through the media. The allegations are completely false and have been dealt with in writing by Ms Siddiq’s lawyers.
“The ACC has not responded to Ms Siddiq or put any allegations to her directly or through her lawyers. Ms Siddiq knows nothing about a hearing in Dhaka relating to her, and there is no basis at all for any charges against her or an arrest warrant.”
The ACC is also investigating Siddiq as part of two other inquiries – also denied – one of which relates to the alleged embezzlement of funds relating to a nuclear deal struck by Hasina.
Siddiq has been contacted for comment.
