A court in Dhaka sentenced British MP Tulip Siddiq to two years in prison on Monday in a corruption case involving the alleged illegal allocation of a government plot of land, according to local media reports. The ruling was delivered while Siddiq remained outside the country, and while several other high profile figures linked to the case were also absent.
The verdict forms part of a sweeping series of convictions against members of the family of former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who was removed from power during an uprising in 2024. The court also handed Hasina a five year sentence and issued a seven year term for her sister Sheikh Rehana.
Prosecutors said the three defendants used political influence to secure the land, which measured about thirteen thousand six hundred ten square feet, during Hasina’s time as prime minister. They accused them of acting with senior officials who helped arrange the allocation through what they described as collusion.
Most of the seventeen people charged were not present when the judge read the decision. Reports from Dhaka outlets say the case drew public attention because of its scale and because of its connection to the wider legal campaign targeting Hasina’s leadership.
Siddiq, who stepped down in January as the UK’s minister for financial services after questions arose about her financial links to Hasina, has previously rejected the accusations. She described the charges as a politically driven attack.
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Hasina fled to India in August 2024 after months of unrest. She has since received multiple convictions. Last month she was sentenced to death in a separate case linked to the government’s response to anti government demonstrations during the uprising. A week ago, courts in Bangladesh sentenced her to a combined twenty one year term in other corruption cases.
Her sister Rehana has also faced increasing judicial pressure as prosecutors aim to unravel decisions made during the former administration. Bangladesh media, citing court officials, said the land case is one of several investigations still under way.
Because Siddiq is a sitting member of the British parliament, the ruling carries diplomatic implications. Britain does not have an extradition treaty with Bangladesh, meaning there is no automatic procedure to return Siddiq to Dhaka to serve a sentence. UK officials have not commented publicly on the court’s ruling.
The court’s decision adds to the long list of legal challenges now confronting the former prime minister’s circle. Further hearings are expected in the coming months as Bangladesh continues to process the political and legal fallout from the events of 2024.
