Risingbd Online Bangla News Portal

Dhaka     Wednesday   09 April 2025

"My lawyers are ready` for questions about corruption claims”

International Desk || risingbd.com

Published: 17:32, 3 April 2025  

Tulip Siddiq has told Sky News her "lawyers are ready" to handle any formal questions about allegations she is involved in corruption in Bangladesh, reports skynews.

Asked whether she regrets apparent links with the Bangladeshi Awami League political party, Ms Siddiq said "why don't you look at my legal letter and see if I have any questions to answer… [the Bangladeshi authorities] have not once contacted me and I'm waiting to hear from them".

The London MP resigned as a Treasury minister in January after being named in several corruption inquiries in Bangladesh.

In her first public comments since leaving government, Ms Siddiq said "there's been allegations for months on end and no one has contacted me".

Last month, the interim leader of Bangladesh told Sky News the MP had "wealth left behind" in the country "and should be made responsible".

Lawyers acting for Ms Siddiq wrote to the Bangladeshi Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) several weeks ago saying the allegations were "false and vexatious".

The letter said the ACC must put questions to Ms Siddiq "by no later than 25 March 2025" or "we shall presume that there are no legitimate questions to answer".

In a post online today, the former minister said the deadline had expired and the authorities had not replied.

Sky News has approached the Bangladeshi government for comment.

The allegations against Ms Siddiq are focused on links to her aunt Sheikh Hasina - who served as the prime minister of Bangladesh for 20 years.

Sheikh Hasina was forced to flee the country in August following weeks of deadly protests._Agencies.

Dhaka/Shahed/Nasim