“This process has been flawed and farcical from start to finish,” Siddiq said. “I have had no communication from Bangladeshi authorities, no summons, no charge sheet, nothing.” She added that she had engaged lawyers in both the UK and Bangladesh.
Siddiq described the verdict as “trial by media,” noting she only learned of it through news reports. Court documents allege she used her influence to benefit her mother, sister, and brother. Prosecutors argued that she was tried as a Bangladeshi citizen due to possession of her passport and ID, claims her legal team disputes.
Judge Rabiul Alam sentenced Siddiq to two years in prison and fined her 100,000 Bangladeshi Taka (around £620/$821), adding that failure to pay would extend the sentence by six months.
Siddiq continues to face other charges, including alleged property transfers in Dhaka and involvement in a 2013 embezzlement case tied to a Russian-funded nuclear deal. She has consistently denied wrongdoing.
Labour Party sources said the party does not recognise the ruling. A spokesperson stated: “Tulip Siddiq has never had access to a fair legal process and was never formally informed of the charges against her, despite repeated requests through her legal team.”
The verdict follows the separate death sentence of Hasina in absentia for crimes against humanity, part of wider legal action by Bangladesh’s interim authorities against former leaders and associates. Siddiq retains her Labour membership and parliamentary whip in the UK.
Senior UK legal figures, including former Justice Secretary Robert Buckland and former Attorney General Dominic Grieve, have raised concerns over the fairness of Siddiq’s trial. Siddiq resigned from her Treasury minister role in January 2025, citing the controversy surrounding her ties to Hasina and to avoid being a “distraction” for the UK government.
Bangladesh does not have an extradition treaty with the UK, meaning Siddiq is not obliged to attend her trial or serve the sentence abroad.