A Bangladesh court sentenced British Labour MP Tulip Siddiq to two years in prison on December 1, 2025, for corruption involving the illegal allocation of a land plot in Dhaka's diplomatic zone, in a trial conducted in her absence. Siddiq, niece of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina who received a five-year term—and Hasina's sister Sheikh Rehana were among 17 defendants accused of abusing power to secure the 13,610 sq ft plot through political influence during Hasina's tenure.
The Dhaka Special Judge's Court, presided by Rabiul Alam, also fined Siddiq 100,000 Bangladeshi Taka (about £620 or $821), with an additional six months if unpaid, alleging she improperly persuaded Hasina to aid her mother in obtaining the land via a government program. Siddiq, MP for Hampstead and Highgate who resigned as UK City Minister in January amid scrutiny over Hasina ties, dismissed the charges as a "politically motivated smear" and collateral in Bangladesh's power struggles.
No extradition is likely absent a UK-Bangladesh treaty, and Labour stated it will not recognize the in-absentia judgment or impose party discipline. The case follows Hasina's ousting last year and her death sentence in another matter, amid Siddiq's prior 21-year term in separate graft probes.