Former British minister Tulip Siddiq has dismissed an arrest warrant issued against her in Bangladesh as a "politically motivated smear campaign." The warrant, issued by a Dhaka court on Sunday, accuses Siddiq and 52 others of unlawfully receiving land during the tenure of her aunt, Sheikh Hasina, as prime minister.
Speaking to reporters, Siddiq said, "This is purely an attempt to harass me with no evidence of any wrongdoing. The Bangladeshi authorities have not contacted me directly, and the case has been conducted entirely through the media."
Aminul Islam, assistant director of the Prosecution Division at Bangladesh’s Anti-Corruption Commission, confirmed the court has requested a progress report on the arrests by April 27.
Siddiq stepped down from her ministerial role in January, citing growing scrutiny over her financial connections to her aunt, which she said were becoming a distraction from the UK government's political priorities.
Sheikh Hasina, Siddiq's aunt and Bangladesh’s former prime minister, resigned last year after 15 years in power and left the country amid widespread protests. She is currently under investigation for alleged corruption and money laundering, charges she and her party strongly deny.
Additionally, Siddiq was named in a separate investigation in December concerning allegations that her family misappropriated $5 billion from Bangladeshi infrastructure projects. She has firmly denied all such claims.
The UK does not have an extradition treaty with Bangladesh, making any potential legal proceedings more complex.
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