Bangladesh Slaps Interpol Red Notice on UK MP Tulip Siddiq After Corruption Conviction
A Bangladeshi court has sentenced Labour MP Tulip Siddiq to four years in prison for corruption and urged Interpol to issue a Red Notice for her arrest abroad. The charge deepens the diplomatic row between Bangladesh and the UK while Siddiq continues to represent her north London constituency from afar.
Interpol Alert Fired Over Corruption Verdict
Dhaka’s top judge Mohammed Sabbir Faiz authorised the Interpol Red Notice following a request from Bangladesh’s anti-corruption agency. Assistant Director A.K.M. Mortuza Ali Sagar accused Siddiq of graft connected to the controversial Purbachal New Town Project, demanding international forces help track her down.
Siddiq Hits Back: ‘Kangaroo Court’ Nightmare
“This whole process has been flawed and farcical from the beginning to the end,” Siddiq told reporters. “The outcome of this kangaroo court is as predictable as it is unjustified. I hope this so-called ‘verdict’ will be treated with the contempt it deserves.”
The Hampstead and Highgate MP insists the charges are politically motivated and vows to carry on serving her constituents. She compared the case to a Kafka-esque nightmare, recalling a similar two-year conviction handed down last year.
Political Chaos Hits Family Hard
Siddiq’s aunt, ex-Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina, is also behind bars, serving a brutal 10-year sentence for corruption linked to the same township scandal. Hasina was ousted in a 2024 student uprising and has been exiled to India since August.
Bangladesh’s anti-corruption unit accuses Hasina of illegally grabbing multiple government land plots for herself and family, despite clear legal bans. The family’s disgrace has rocked Dhaka’s political establishment.
UK Legal Experts Slam ‘Unfair Trial’
Labour warns Siddiq never got a fair crack at justice. A party spokesman said:
“Senior legal experts confirm Tulip Siddiq has been denied a fair legal process and was never properly informed of the charges. Despite repeated attempts, Bangladeshi authorities have withheld key details.”
“Everyone deserves the right to mount a defence. Since Siddiq was blocked from doing so, we reject this flawed judgment.”
Ex-Conservative ministers Robert Buckland and Dominic Grieve blasted Bangladesh’s handling of the case as politically charged and procedurally unjust.
MP Excluded from Trial, UK Minister Backs Her
Cabinet minister Darren Jones told Sky News Siddiq denies all wrongdoing and was locked out of Bangladesh’s legal process. He said:
“She tried to engage with the Bangladeshi proceedings but was ignored, so she sees this as a political witch hunt. She wasn’t even part of the trial, yet the court delivered its verdict without her input.”
Despite the international drama, Siddiq remains focused on her London voters and refuses to let Bangladesh’s corruption scandal derail her UK parliamentary duties.
