Tulip Siddiq, UK Treasury Minister and niece of ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina, is facing pressure to resign amidst allegations of her involvement in a multi-billion-pound corruption scandal tied to her family.
The controversy centers around claims that Tulip Siddiq facilitated embezzlement of £4 billion from Bangladesh's Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant project, constructed by Russia's state-owned Rosatom. The deal, signed in 2013 in the Kremlin during Tulip’s tenure as a Labour councillor, allegedly benefited her family members, including her mother, Sheikh Rehana, and aunt, Sheikh Hasina, reports Daily Mail.
Tories Demand Siddiq’s Resignation
The Conservative Party has called for Tulip Siddiq to immediately step down from her ministerial role, citing potential conflicts of interest. As a minister overseeing the Office for Financial Sanctions Implementation, Siddiq is tasked with reviewing sanctions on Rosatom-linked entities due to the Ukraine war. Tory Home Affairs spokesman Matt Vickers stated, “Keir Starmer must ensure Tulip is recused from all sanctions and anti-corruption policy decisions while questions about her personal dealings remain unanswered.”
The Financial Times (FT) has recently reported that Tulip Siddiq was given a central London apartment by an individual connected to the Awami League.
Tulip Siddiq was handed a two-bedroom flat near King's Cross in 2004 without making a payment, according to previously unreported Land Registry filings, according to the UK’s based media.
The filings indicate that the donor was Abdul Motalif, a developer and associate of people linked to Sheikh Hasina.
The King's Cross property, which Siddiq still owns, was purchased in January 2001 for £195,000, the filings show. A neighbouring flat in the building was sold in August for £650,000.
“Any suggestion that Tulip Siddiq’s ownership of this property, or any other property is in any way linked to support for the Awami League, would be categorically wrong,” Financial Times quoted a spokesperson for the minister said.
