Latest news with #Siddiq
New Indian Express
7 days ago
- New Indian Express
Lose yourself in Sufi meditation bliss at Rumi Retreat
KOZHIKODE: The Sufi Foundation of India is arranging a retreat in Kozhikode on June 21 for those who want to immerse themselves in the bliss of Sufi meditation and learn how to practice it in daily life. Titled Rumi Retreat, the programme spanning an entire day will be led by meditation master Siddiq Muhammad and Sufi musician and retreater Sameer Binsi. 'Mystic and poet Jalaluddin Rumi is known to the people of Kerala as an author. However, there is a Sufi path known by his name that is seldom discussed here. Rumi Retreat will perhaps be the first event of its kind in the country. Our order is modelled on the ones in the US,' said Siddiq. There are many Sufi tariqas in Kerala that follow different paths. 'Ours is unique as there are no caste, gender or religious segregations. Anyone can join it and experience bliss,' he said. Siddiq said he was attracted to the verses of Rumi through the works of Guru Nitya Chaitanya Yati, who translated his work 'Masnavi' into Malayalam. 'Guru had stated that for 40 years, Rumi's book was with him everywhere he travelled. I learned the Persian language to understand the book in its original form and translated into Malayalam. For the past five years, I have been engaged in a programme called 'Masnavi Mananam' and have completed around 1,000 classes,' Siddiq said.
ITV News
13-06-2025
- Politics
- ITV News
Bangladesh leader says Tulip Siddiq should face court and declines to meet her
ITV News Political Correspondent Shehab Khan sat down with Bangladesh's interim leader, Muhammad Yunus Bangladesh's interim leader, Muhammad Yunus, has urged Labour MP Tulip Siddiq to return to the country and face trial over corruption allegations, rejecting her request for a meeting during his official visit to the UK. Yunus, a Nobel Peace Prize-winning economist currently heading a caretaker government in Dhaka, declined Siddiq's invitation to discuss the charges brought against her by Bangladesh's Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). He told ITV News that any allegations should be dealt with in court, not through political dialogue. 'If she has allegations against her, she should appear in court to face a trial,' Yunus said. He later added: 'I have not spoken to her. I took it as a legal process and it should be done in a legal way, I should not get involved.' An arrest warrant was recently issued for Siddiq by Bangladeshi authorities, following accusations that she illegally obtained a 7,200-square-foot plot of land in Dhaka. The investigation, according to Bangladeshi officials, is separate from an ongoing probe into a controversial nuclear power plant deal involving Siddiq's aunt, Sheikh Hasina, the former Prime Minister of Bangladesh. Siddiq, MP for Hampstead and Highgate and a former UK Treasury minister, has strongly denied the allegations. Her legal team described the charges as 'politically motivated' and claimed that attempts to engage with the Bangladeshi authorities had been ignored. She had written to Yunus ahead of his visit to the United Kingdom, asking to meet, so she could help to 'clear up the misunderstanding perpetuated by the Anti-Corruption Commission in Dhaka.' In a statement, Siddiq said she was disappointed by Yunus' refusal to meet and accused him of fueling a campaign of politically charged misinformation. She said: "He's been at the heart of a political vendetta based on fantasy accusations with no evidence relentlessly briefed to the media. "If this was a serious legal process they would engage with my lawyers rather than sending bogus correspondence to an address in Dhaka where I have never lived. Siddiq resigned from her ministerial role earlier this year after referring herself to the UK government's ethics adviser, Sir Laurie Magnus, in light of the property allegations involving her family. While Magnus concluded she had not breached the ministerial code, he noted that she should have been 'more alert to the potential reputational risks' posed by her family's ties to Bangladeshi politics. From Westminster to Washington DC - our political experts are across all the latest key talking points. Listen to the latest episode below...
MTV Lebanon
12-06-2025
- Politics
- MTV Lebanon
12 Jun 2025 19:03 PM Bangladesh leader declines to meet Tulip Siddiq
Bangladesh's interim leader Muhammad Yunus has refused to meet Labour MP Tulip Siddiq to discuss corruption allegations against her during his visit to London. Yunus told the BBC the allegations were a "court matter" and said he had confidence in Bangladesh's Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), which is investigating Siddiq. The ACC has accused Siddiq of illegally receiving land from the regime of her aunt Sheikh Hasina, who was ousted as Bangladesh's prime minister last year. Siddiq, a former Treasury minister, has denied the allegations and accused the Bangladeshi authorities of a "politically motivated smear campaign". In a letter, Siddiq requested a meeting with Yunus, a Nobel-prize winning economist who has led an interim government in Bangladesh since a student-led protest movement toppled Hasina from power. Siddiq said a meeting "might also help clear up the misunderstanding perpetuated by the Anti-Corruption Commission in Dhaka". In an interview with the BBC, Yunus was asked whether he would meet Siddiq during his four-day visit to the UK this week. "No I'm not because it's a legal procedure," Yunus said. "I don't want to interrupt a legal procedure. Let the procedure continue." Siddiq has argued Bangladeshi authorities have not provided any evidence to back up their allegations and refuse to engage with her lawyers. Responding to those arguments, Yunus said: "It's a court matter. "A court will decide if enough materials are available to pursue the case or cancel it". When asked if prosecutors in Bangladesh needed to be more transparent and provide evidence of wrongdoing to Siddiq, Yunus said: "As chief adviser I have full confidence in our Anti-Corruption Commission and they are doing the right thing." On the question of whether he would seek Siddiq's extradition if she was found guilty of any crimes in Bangladesh, Yunus said: "If it is part of the legal procedure, of course."
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bangladesh leader declines to meet Tulip Siddiq
Bangladesh's interim leader Muhammad Yunus has refused to meet Labour MP Tulip Siddiq to discuss corruption allegations against her during his visit to London. Yunus told the BBC the allegations were a "court matter" and said he had confidence in Bangladesh's Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), which is investigating Siddiq. The ACC has accused Siddiq of illegally receiving land from the regime of her aunt Sheikh Hasina, who was ousted as Bangladesh's prime minister last year. Siddiq, a former Treasury minister, has denied the allegations and accused the Bangladeshi authorities of a "politically motivated smear campaign". In a letter, Siddiq requested a meeting with Yunus, a Nobel-prize winning economist who has led an interim government in Bangladesh since a student-led protest movement toppled Hasina from power. Siddiq said a meeting "might also help clear up the misunderstanding perpetuated by the Anti-Corruption Commission in Dhaka". In an interview with the BBC, Yunus was asked whether he would meet Siddiq during his four-day visit to the UK this week. "No I'm not because it's a legal procedure," Yunus said. "I don't want to interrupt a legal procedure. Let the procedure continue." Siddiq has argued Bangladeshi authorities have not provided any evidence to back up their allegations and refuse to engage with her lawyers. Responding to those arguments, Yunus said: "It's a court matter. "A court will decide if enough materials are available to pursue the case or cancel it". When asked if prosecutors in Bangladesh needed to be more transparent and provide evidence of wrongdoing to Siddiq, Yunus said: "As chief adviser I have full confidence in our Anti-Corruption Commission and they are doing the right thing." On the question of whether he would seek Siddiq's extradition if she was found guilty of any crimes in Bangladesh, Yunus said: "If it is part of the legal procedure, of course." In a statement, Siddiq said she was disappointed Yunus had refused to meet her. She said: "He's been at the heart of a political vendetta based on fantasy accusations with no evidence relentlessly briefed to the media. "If this was a serious legal process they would engage with my lawyers rather than sending bogus correspondence to an address in Dhaka where I have never lived. "I hope he is now serious about ending the practice of smearing me in the press and allowing the courts to establish that their investigations have nothing to do with me - a British citizen and a proud member of the UK Parliament." Siddiq quit her ministerial post earlier this year, following an investigation into the allegations by the prime minister's ethics adviser, Sir Laurie Magnus. In his report, Sir Laurie said he had "not identified evidence of improprieties". But he said it was "regrettable" that Siddiq had not been more alert to the "potential reputational risks" of her ties to her aunt, who is leader of Awami League party in Bangladesh. Bangladesh authorities estimate that about $234bn (£174bn) was siphoned off from Bangladesh through corrupt means while Hasina was in power. The Bangladeshi authorities allege that much of this money has been stashed or spent in the UK. Yunus said he had not been able to arrange a meeting with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, a close friend and constituency neighbour of Siddiq. He said: "I don't know whether I should be disappointed or he should be disappointed. It's a missed opportunity. "That's why I'm saying coming to Bangladesh would be a good opportunity to relax and see and feel the moment." When asked if Downing Street had given a reason for not scheduling a meeting with Starmer, he said: "I don't think we have received an explanation from that kind of thing. Probably he is busy with other important things." A Downing Street spokesperson did not comment. But Yunus did have an audience with King Charles at Buckingham Palace and met Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds in Parliament. In a post on X, Reynolds said they discussed "our shared ambitions for economic growth, job creation and prosperity". Some anti-Yunus protesters from the Bangladeshi community in the UK gathered on Parliament Square during his visit. Yunus said Bangladesh's interim government had hired lawyers to try to recover any allegedly stolen funds from the UK. He said the UK government was "extremely supportive" of this effort. "I have a lot of admiration for the promptness with which they're treating the whole subject," Yunus said. The BBC understands the International Anti-Corruption Co-ordination Centre (IACCC) is exploring opportunities to assist Bangladesh's interim government and its law enforcement agencies in their efforts to investigate allegations of corruption under Hasina's rule. The IACCC is hosted by the National Crime Agency in London. An NCA spokesperson said: "The NCA does not routinely comment on the nature of international assistance, nor confirm or deny if the Agency has opened an investigation or is supporting a partner's investigation." Tulip Siddiq attacks 'false' corruption allegations Her aunt's regime 'disappeared' people - so why did Starmer make her a minister?
Deccan Herald
09-06-2025
- Politics
- Deccan Herald
No letter received from UK MP Tulip, says Bangladesh Chief Advisor's Press Secretary on her meeting with Yunus
British MP Siddiq, in the letter, has sought a meeting with Yunus in London to clear up a 'misunderstanding' over corruption allegations against her.
