‘Plot Forgery’: Five British Lawyers Condemn Trial Process Against Tulip Siddiq
Ahead of the verdict in the fraud case against British MP Tulip Siddiq over plot allocations in the Purbachal New Town Project, five top lawyers in the United Kingdom have strongly criticised the trial process.
In a letter to the Bangladesh High Commissioner in the UK, they said that former state minister Tulip Siddiq had not been given “even the minimum right” to fight the case; she was not given proper information about the allegations or the opportunity to appoint a lawyer — “she received nothing.”
The letter, reported by the British newspaper The Guardian, described the ongoing case in Bangladesh as “fabricated” and “unfair.”
Among the five lawyers is Robert Buckland, who served as justice minister in the Conservative government under Boris Johnson.
Also included are Cherie Blair, wife of former British prime minister Tony Blair, as well as Dominic Grieve, Philippe Sands, and Geoffrey Robertson.
Tulip, the Labour MP for Hampstead and Highgate in London, is the niece of former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina; Hasina was sentenced to death last week for “crimes against humanity” over her role in suppressing the July uprising.
Now the verdict date has been set in four plot–forgery cases filed against Sheikh Hasina. In one of those cases, Sheikh Hasina, her sister Sheikh Rehana, and Rehana’s daughter Tulip Siddiq are all accused.
The court has fixed December 1 for the verdict in the case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). The trial proceeded by showing Hasina, Rehana and the British MP Tulip as “absconding.”
Because they were declared absconding, no lawyers were allowed to represent them. The ACC has sought life imprisonment as the maximum punishment.
Tulip has consistently denied the allegations against her. However, she did not issue any reaction after the verdict date was announced on Tuesday.
One of her close associates said, “This is a case driven by personal vendetta. Even prominent politicians outside her (Tulip’s) own party are questioning this irregular trial. It is embarrassing for Dr Yunus as well.”
In their letter to Bangladesh High Commissioner Abida Islam, the UK lawyers claimed that the Bangladeshi lawyer Tulip intended to appoint was “forced to withdraw, placed under house arrest, and his daughter was threatened.”
They wrote, “This trial is an example of a case being conducted in a fabricated and unfair manner.”
The case alleges that Tulip influenced her aunt, former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, to help secure a plot in Dhaka’s Purbachal area for her mother, Sheikh Rehana.
Tulip has repeatedly denied the allegations, saying they are “politically motivated.”
In their letter, the lawyers wrote that while Chief Adviser of the interim government Professor Muhammad Yunus repeatedly speaks about the importance of the rule of law and justice, they are “deeply concerned” about such trial processes in Bangladesh.
“She (Tulip Siddiq) lives in the UK and is a British citizen; she is not an absconder. She is an elected MP, reachable in the House of Commons, and if there were sufficient grounds for the allegations, extradition to Bangladesh would be possible.
“Siddiq has not been shown the charge sheet or any evidence; she has not been given access to a lawyer. The lawyer she appointed in Bangladesh was forced to step aside. He said he was kept under house arrest and his daughter was threatened.”
The letter states, “This perfectly aligns with allegations of interference and intimidation in the justice system following the installation of the interim government.”
The British lawyers said that the complainant in the plot–corruption case and ACC officials responsible for the investigation have repeatedly commented publicly about Tulip’s alleged involvement, and Professor Yunus has also made remarks.
“With such statements from those in authority — where Siddiq is being portrayed as guilty — we fail to understand how a neutral and intervention-free trial can be ensured.”
The letter adds, “Considering everything, we are concerned. Conducting this trial in Siddiq’s absence is entirely unfair; she has no opportunity to defend herself — no opportunity at all. The trial is proceeding in her absence without reasonable grounds, and the process does not meet international standards.”
The British lawyers urged the Bangladesh government to address these issues and ensure a “fair trial.”
After the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government on August 5, 2024, Tulip’s name surfaced in relation to alleged corruption in the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant Project. British media widely covered the issue at the time. Afterwards, intense discussion followed regarding the “gifted” flat received by Tulip and her sister.
Amid criticism over revelations that she had received a £700,000 flat in London from a developer close to Sheikh Hasina and her party Awami League, Tulip resigned from her post as City Minister in January.
UK prime minister Keir Starmer, however, praised Tulip after her resignation, saying his door would remain open for her.
An inquiry by Sir Laurie Magnus, the UK prime minister’s adviser on ministerial ethics, cleared Tulip of breaching the ministerial code.
However, he noted that Tulip might have avoided the issue if she had been more cautious about potential “asset risks” stemming from her family’s political connections in Bangladesh.
