March 7, 2025
Dhaka – British politician and former British Finance Minister Tulip Siddiq has recently come under severe scrutiny, leading to her resignation in the UK’s political landscape. The controversy is linked to her family ties on the Bangladesh political stage and allegations that severely impacted her career.
Siddiq began serving as a member of the Camden Council in 2010, representing Regent’s Park. She was promoted to National Politics, securing Hampstead and Kilburn Parliamentary seats in 2015. Showing dedication to her voters and parties, she was appointed as the Finance Minister in July 2024, a role commonly known as the city minister. In this position, she oversees financial services and anti-corruption measures in the UK.
Siddiq is the niece of former Bangladesh Prime Minister and leader of Awami League, Sheikh Hasina, who was ousted in August after a massive uprising. Her term forced the persecution of opponents, including assaults, arrests, execution of disappearances and extrajudicial killings. She and her allies face billions of dollars in misappropriation charges from the country.
This family tie has been the focus throughout Siddiq’s career. In 2015, she participated in an event organized by the Center for Research and Information (CRI), which has ties to the Awami League and has been accused of advocacy in support of Hasina’s government. During this event, Siddiq praised her aunt’s leadership and emphasized their intimacy.
The intervention of British police emerged after visiting the National Crime Agency (NCA) in October last year to assist the Bangladesh government in reclaiming billions of dollars allegedly misappropriated by Hasina and his colleagues. The NCA investigates international bribery and corruption related to the UK and examines individuals suspected of money laundering and other illegal activities involving British nationals.
In December 2024, months after Hasina’s strike, Bangladesh’s Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) launched an investigation that said Siddiq and her aunt had polluted about £3.9 billion from the Rooppur nuclear power plant, a project that began in 2013. The survey began in 2013. This is a financially large financial responsibility, which was previously related to the previous unrestricted, and this typical improperity is indispensable.
Siddiq’s London property, which is related to her aunt colleagues, has also been under scrutiny, raising questions about potential conflicts of interest. After MP Tory urged Siddiq to resign, he accused her of misrepresenting her ownership of the London apartment. The Sunday Times reported that Moin Ghani, a Bangladeshi lawyer representing Hasina’s government, transferred the property to Siddiq’s sister Azmina in 2009. The documents show that the transfer is not considered any currency. Azmina sold the apartment for $650,000 in 2021, while Tulip used it as an address for official documents while serving as a director and trustee of various organizations.
Further investigations revealed that Siddiq’s mother, Sheikh Rehana (former PM Hasina’s sister) lives in a £1.2 million property in Golders Green, allegedly a maritime trust controlled by Salman F Rahman’s son Shayan Rahman (billionaire Bangladeshi politician and former Hasina’s adviser). Rahman’s family and his father are currently in custody in Bangladesh since Hasina’s ouster.
In addition, another Hampstead property, once occupied by Siddiq’s mother and sister, is owned by Kazi Zafarullah, a senior Awami League member who was imprisoned for extortion in 2007.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said British Prime Minister Keir Starmer “jittered and delayed to protect” Siddick. She wrote on X (formerly Twitter), saying: “It’s obvious that the position of the anti-corruption minister was totally untenable over the weekend. However, Keir Starmer jittered and postponed to protect his close friends.
Eventually, after a moral counselor determined that she had, Siddiq resigned from her leadership position in Labour accidental Offering false information about the scandal. Her resignation marks an important moment in British politics as it reveals a complex intersection of personal and political ties in Britain and abroad. Important questions about transparency and accountability of public office are raised around the family’s connection to the political landscape of Bangladesh and the review of allegations of corruption.
