The same court sentenced former Bangladeshi prime minister Sheikh Hasina, Ms Siddiq’s aunt, to 10 years in jail
Labour has rejected a Bangladeshi court ruling sentencing MP Tulip Siddiq to prison on corruption charges, saying the judgment cannot be recognised due to the lack of a fair legal process. The case, which also targets former Bangladeshi prime minister Sheikh Hasina, has drawn criticism from senior UK legal figures and heightened scrutiny of Bangladesh’s judicial proceedings.
The same court sentenced former Bangladeshi prime minister Sheikh Hasina, Ms Siddiq’s aunt, to 10 years in jail
Labour ‘cannot recognise’ ruling against MP Siddiq in Bangladesh corruption case
By David Hughes, PA Political Editor
Former City minister Tulip Siddiq has been sentenced to four years in jail by a court in Bangladesh, but Labour said it “cannot recognise this judgment”.
Ms Siddiq’s aunt, former Bangladeshi prime minister Sheikh Hasina, was given a 10-year term by the same court over a corruption case involving a government township project near the capital Dhaka.
Labour said senior lawyers had warned that the Hampstead and Highgate MP had not been given a “fair legal process” in the case.
A Labour spokesman said: “The Labour Party and all our elected representatives take the rule of law incredibly seriously and will always fulfil our legal responsibilities.
“As has been reported, highly regarded senior legal professionals have highlighted that Tulip Siddiq has not had access to a fair legal process in this case and has never been informed of the details of the charges against her.
“This is despite repeated requests made to the Bangladeshi authorities through her legal team.
“Anyone facing any charge should always be afforded the right to make legal representations when allegations are made against them.
“Given that has not happened in this case, we cannot recognise this judgment.”
Ms Siddiq lives in the UK and continues to represent her north London seat in Parliament.
Senior lawyers including former Conservative justice secretary Robert Buckland and ex-attorney general Dominic Grieve have criticised the handling of the case in Bangladesh.
The country’s official corruption watchdog filed the cases alleging that Hasina colluded with government officials to illegally secure six plots in the Purbachal New Town Project for herself and her family members, despite their ineligibility under government regulations.
After a similar case last year, for which Ms Siddiq was given a two-year sentence, the MP said she had been tried by a “kangaroo court” and added she would not be “distracted by the dirty politics of Bangladesh”.
