Tulip Siddiq calls Bangladeshi corruption investigation ‘smear campaign'
Tulip Siddiq has accused the interim leader of Bangladesh of conducting an 'orchestrated campaign' to damage her reputation.
The former anti-corruption minister, who was forced to resign earlier this year following corruption allegations, said Professor Muhammad Yunus is 'interfering with UK politics'.
The Labour MP also claimed comments he made in a Sky News interview have prejudiced her right to a fair investigation, and called for the ongoing corruption inquiries into her to be dropped.
Bangladesh's Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has opened several investigations into Ms Siddiq alleging corruption in connection with the government of her aunt, Sheikh Hasina, who was ousted as the country's prime minister last year.
In March, Prof Yunus told Sky News that Ms Siddiq 'has so many (sic) wealth left behind here' and 'should be made responsible'.
As the chief adviser of Bangladesh, he is effectively the country's interim leader.
In correspondence sent to Prof Yunus and the ACC, lawyers for the former minister wrote: 'The time has now come for the chief adviser and the ACC to abandon their wholly misconceived and unlawful campaign to smear Ms Siddiq's reputation and interfere with her public service.'
Bangladeshi authorities previously said they have evidence to back up their claims of corruption and will pursue action through the country's courts.
Ms Siddiq told Sky News: 'I will not be allowing them to drag me into their world of dirty politics and nothing is going to stop me from pursuing the job that I was elected to do with an overwhelming majority, which is representing the people of Hampstead and Highgate.
'So they need to stop this political vendetta, this smear campaign, and this malicious persecution right from the beginning.'
The MP had requested a meeting with the Bangladeshi leader during an official visit to the UK earlier this month to 'clear up' any misunderstandings.
But he turned her down, saying he did not want to 'interrupt a legal procedure'.
In the new legal letter, lawyers for Ms Siddiq say the interim leader had already unfairly influenced the inquiries through previous comments.
'The copious briefings to the media, the failure to respond to our letters, the failure to even ask to meet with and question Ms Siddiq during their recent visit to the United Kingdom are impossible to justify and completely inconsistent with a fair, lawful and serious investigation,' reads the letter.
Party banned from elections
The correspondence also sets a deadline of 30 June 2025 for the Bangladeshi authorities to reply, stating that 'in the absence of a full and proper response… Ms Siddiq will consider this matter closed'.
Last month, Prof Yunus banned the Awami League - the political party still led by Sheikh Hasina - from standing in the coming elections.
Earlier this year, it was revealed that Ms Siddiq had lived in several London properties that had links to the Awami League.
She referred herself to the prime minister's standards adviser, Sir Laurie Magnus, who said he had 'not identified evidence of improprieties', but added it was 'regrettable' that Ms Siddiq had not been more alert to the 'potential reputational risks' of the ties to her aunt.
Ms Siddiq said continuing in her role would be 'a distraction' for the government, but insisted she had done nothing wrong.
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