New govt in Dhaka to seek Tulip’s extradition over graft convictions
Bangladesh’s newly elected government will seek the extradition of former UK minister Tulip Siddiq to serve prison sentences handed down in corruption cases, a senior aide to prime minister-in-waiting Tarique Rahman has said, reports The Independent.
The Labour MP has been sentenced in Bangladesh to four years and two years in prison in two separate corruption cases. She was convicted in absentia alongside her aunt, former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, and other family members.
The Hampstead and Highgate MP has denied the allegations. However, she is unlikely to serve the sentences as the UK does not have an extradition treaty with Bangladesh.
“They’re both convicted criminals now,” Humayun Kabir, who is expected to serve as foreign minister under Tarique Rahman, told The Independent, referring to Siddiq and Sheikh Hasina. “So the judicial process is transparently pursuing them.”
The Independent said it had contacted Tulip Siddiq for comment.
Tarique Rahman’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party secured a landslide victory in Friday’s parliamentary election, returning to power after nearly two decades. The win paves the way for Tarique – son of slain president Ziaur Rahman and former prime minister Khaleda Zia – to assume leadership almost 18 months after a violent uprising in 2024 that toppled the Awami League government led by Sheikh Hasina and forced her to flee to India.
The United Nations estimates that at least 1,400 people were killed during the protests.
Sheikh Hasina has since been sentenced to death for crimes against humanity. She also faces multiple corruption cases, some of which name Tulip Siddiq. After Bangladeshi prosecutors initiated proceedings against her, Siddiq resigned as the UK’s anti-corruption minister in early 2025.
“We will not interfere. We will let the judicial process decide their fate,” said Kabir, as Tarique Rahman’s foreign affairs adviser, when asked whether the new government would drop the cases against Tulip and Hasina.
“Tulip Siddiq is an embarrassment to the UK government,” he said, adding that the government of Keir Starmer “needs to be clear” on its stance toward convicted individuals. “Criminals cannot use the British passport to shield their criminal activities.”
“There are ethical boundaries, ethical considerations and moral considerations. If a government is weak on its ethical and moral convictions, then in dealing with criminals, it doesn’t send a good message to the world,” Kabir said.
He added that Dhaka expects the UK authorities to act against individuals linked to the Awami League who are living in Britain and allegedly involved in money laundering or destabilisation efforts.
“We want them back,” Kabir said. “In terms of extradition, we would want the UK to track these criminals. If we are going to be a strong partner with the UK on tackling illegal migration, why can’t the UK reciprocate in dealing with criminals who have fled to its territory from Bangladesh?”
Kabir also welcomed action by the UK’s National Crime Agency, which froze more than £170 million in assets – including nearly 300 properties – linked to former Bangladeshi minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury.
“But more needs to be done,” he said.