Tulip Siddiq, the United Kingdom's Labour Party city minister for anti-corruption and daughter of Sheikh Rehana, has addressed the controversy surrounding her much-discussed London flat.
She claims that her parents purchased the flat for her, according to a report by the British news agency The Daily Mail on Sunday (5 January).
However, several sources have reported that Abdul Motalef, a businessman associated with the Awami League, gifted the flat to Siddiq in 2024 as a gesture of gratitude.
Despite initially avoiding questions from The Daily Mail, Tulip Siddiq eventually stated that another family previously resided in the flat, which her parents then purchased for her.
However, the Labour Party has indicated that Motalef himself gifted the flat to Siddiq.
When questioned, 70-year-old Motalef explained that he presented the flat to Tulip Siddiq as a token of gratitude for financial assistance her parents provided in the past.
According to the UK's Land Registry, Siddiq became the sole owner of the flat shortly after completing her postgraduate degree, despite having no income at the time.
Furthermore, no information regarding the purchase or mortgage of the flat has been found.
This incident has sparked significant criticism against Tulip Siddiq.
Members of the Conservative Party in the UK Parliament have called for her resignation.
Commenting on the matter, MP Bob Blackman said, "If there isn't a satisfactory explanation for this incident, she should step down from her position."
Meanwhile, Tulip faces trouble in connection with a separate case involving alleged bribery and fraud amounting to nearly Tk500 crore related to the construction of Bangladesh's Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant.
Previously, Tulip Siddiq was accused of failing to account for income generated from another flat in London.
However, the earlier charges were dropped following a recommendation from the authorities.
In response to initial inquiries from The Daily Mail, Siddiq threatened the news outlet with legal action.
