Tulip Siddiq, a British–Bangladeshi MP and former City Minister, is now at the centre of an international controversy. Bangladesh’s Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has accused her of involvement in land-grab cases linked to her aunt, ousted PM Sheikh Hasina. The allegations claim that Hasina and her family abused their powers to acquire expensive land plots in Dhaka’s suburbs. Siddiq has denied the charges, calling the process a farce.
However, the ACC insists it has documents and letters as evidence. From Dhaka to London, the scandal has caused political reverberations. In January 2025, Siddiq resigned from her position as a minister in the UK after Bangladesh issued an arrest order for her.
From London Birth to Westminster
Born in London in 1982, Tulip Siddiq grew up in a family deeply embedded in South Asian politics. She is the daughter of Shafique Ahmed Siddique, a former Dhaka University professor, and Sheikh Rehana, who sought political asylum in the UK after leaving Bangladesh. Siddiq is the maternal granddaughter of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founding father of Bangladesh.
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Her mother’s elder sister is Sheikh Hasina, who led Bangladesh for years before her dramatic ouster. Siddiq entered British politics in 2015, winning a seat as an MP. Her career rose steadily, culminating in her appointment as City Minister.
Sheikh Hasina Fallout
The case against Siddiq comes amid a turbulent period in Bangladesh. Sheikh Hasina fled the country last year in a military helicopter after massive protests over job quota reforms turned violent. Thousands of demonstrators marched toward her official residence in Dhaka, forcing her to seek safety.
Since then, she has lived in India while facing multiple trials in absentia. Interim PM Muhammad Yunus, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, now heads Bangladesh’s government until elections take place.
Diplomatic Tightrope
The allegations against Siddiq add a diplomatic dimension. As a British MP accused by a foreign government, her case tests the UK’s balancing act between respecting judicial processes abroad and protecting its lawmakers.
Bangladesh’s ACC says this is not political revenge but a matter of accountability. Siddiq argues it is politically motivated, given her family ties and the current power shift in Dhaka.
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Between Legacy & Accusation
Siddiq’s profile is shaped by her dual identity: a rising UK political figure and a member of Bangladesh’s most influential political family. A defining problem now confronts her career. As she navigates the torrent of accusations from her ancestral homeland, she is striving to preserve her political status in Britain.
Her story captures the tension between personal legacy and political survival — a tale that straddles two nations, two political systems, and one high-stakes legal battle.
