Labour Party thinks allegations against Tulip ‘spurious’

Jago News Desk Published: 19 December 2024, 01:25 PM
Labour Party thinks allegations against Tulip ‘spurious’
Tulip Siddiq, Labour MP for Hampstead and Highgate,

The UK’s ruling Labour Party thinks allegations against Tulip Siddiq, Labour MP for Hampstead and Highgate, accusing her of assisting her aunt, Sheikh Hasina, the recently ousted Bangladeshi prime minister, in embezzling funds as “spurious”.  

Party leaders told The Telegraph that the City Minister had not been contacted regarding the claims, characterising them as “spurious.”  

Bangladesh’s Anti-Corruption Commission announced on Tuesday that it had opened an investigation into allegations that Hasina and her family illegally diverted £5.2 billion meant for the construction of a nuclear power plant and eight other major infrastructure projects. 

If substantiated, the inquiry could escalate into a diplomatic dispute between the UK and Bangladesh.  

The projects in question were executed under the Awami League, Bangladesh’s former ruling party led by Hasina. The 76-year-old leader, the country’s longest-serving prime minister, was ousted earlier this year after 15 years in power. She is currently in India.  

During Hasina’s tenure, her administration faced accusations of suppressing dissent through extrajudicial killings, arrests, and imprisonment of political opponents. Following her ousting, a new government has taken over and is pursuing legal actions against her and her family.  

Tulip Siddiq did not respond to The Telegraph's requests for comment on the investigation. Her family’s property in Bangladesh was reportedly ransacked after Hasina fled the country in August amid violent protests against her administration.  

According to local reports, over 300 people were killed in clashes between students, government supporters, and police during the protests. Murder investigations have been launched against Hasina for her alleged role in the deadly violence.