AgenciesLONDON

Tulip Siddiq, a British Labour MP, has resigned as Treasury Minister amid scrutiny over her ties to her aunt, ousted Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. While denying any wrongdoing, Siddiq stepped down, acknowledging that the controversy surrounding her connections could distract from government work.

Siddiq, 42, managed financial services and anti-corruption in her role. In her resignation letter to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, she reiterated her innocence but conceded that the allegations were a liability. Starmer accepted her resignation “with sadness.”

The controversy revolves around properties linked to Hasina’s allies and Siddiq’s alleged role in questionable dealings. Reports claim she used three London properties associated with Hasina’s network. One flat, supposedly gifted by a Bangladesh government ally, was denied as such by Siddiq, who maintained that her parents purchased it. Another is a £2.1 million house rented by Siddiq and owned by Abdul Karim Nazim, an Awami League executive. A third, a Hampstead property, registered in her teenage sister’s name  in 2009, was transferred by Moin Ghani, a lawyer representing Hasina’s government.

Siddiq also faced scrutiny for her presence in Moscow during a 2013 nuclear deal between Bangladesh and Russia. Though she claimed no official involvement, ethics advisor Sir Laurie Magnus noted the potential reputational risk of her family ties. Magnus did not find evidence of impropriety but criticized Siddiq’s lack of vigilance over the risks.

Additionally, allegations from Bangladesh’s Anti-Corruption Commission accuse Siddiq of influencing the illegal allocation of land in Dhaka’s diplomatic zone to her family. Reports claim Siddiq pressured officials to favor her relatives, with bribes allegedly involved.

The most serious claim implicates her family in a 2013 Bangladesh-Russia nuclear plant deal where billions of pounds were allegedly embezzled. Siddiq, then a local councilor, denied involvement, stating her Moscow visit was a personal trip accompanying her family.

Though exonerated of direct impropriety, Siddiq resigned, citing the need to avoid hindering government operations.