Top UK lawyers accuse BD of running ‘contrived’ trial against Tulip Siddiq

A group of leading UK lawyers has raised “serious” concerns over the trial of British MP Tulip Siddiq in Bangladesh, describing the proceedings as “contrived and unfair” and urging the authorities to ensure a fair trial.

The trial of Tulip, who resigned from the UK government in January, is set to deliver a verdict on Dec 1 and sentence in absentia, with prosecutors reportedly seeking the maximum life term.

The Guardian reported that prominent British lawyers -- including Robert Buckland KC, former justice secretary under Boris Johnson, former Tory attorney general Dominic Grieve, Cherie Blair KC, Philippe Sands KC, and Geoffrey Robertson KC -- wrote to Bangladesh High Commissioner in London Abida Islam, noting that Tulip had not been informed of the charges against her or allowed legal representation.

They added that a lawyer she appointed in Bangladesh “had been placed under house arrest and that his daughter had faced threats”.

The British daily said Tulip is accused of influencing her aunt to secure a plot of land in Dhaka for her mother, Sheikh Rehana, Hasina’s sister.

She denies the allegations, calling them “politically motivated”, it added.

Also Read: Plot graft: Verdict in case against British MP Tulip on Dec 1

The lawyers, in the letter dated Nov 24, highlighted that Tulip has not been presented with the charges or evidence against her.

It read, “It is a basic principle of justice that every individual charged with a crime is entitled to know the allegations and evidence against them, be able to access competent legal representation, have the opportunity to present a defence without intimidation or obstruction, and be subject to a fair and impartial trial before an independent tribunal that is free from political interference.”

The letter added that while Tulip has lived in the UK all her adult life, she is being treated as if she were a Bangladeshi resident.

Documents she has not seen were allegedly sent to addresses in Bangladesh of which she has “no knowledge”, and her failure to respond has been used as a justification to try her in absentia.

“Such a process is artificial and a contrived and unfair way of pursuing a prosecution,” it said. “As she lives in the UK and is a UK national, she is plainly not a fugitive.

“She is an elected member of parliament, who can be contacted at the House of Commons, and indeed extradited to Bangladesh to face charges if there are proper grounds for seeking her extradition.”

It added context about the broader legal environment. “Whilst we make no comment on the actual merits, we are concerned that none of these basic requirements appear to be present in relation to the proceedings against Ms Siddiq in Bangladesh.

“This comes against a background in which the leader of the Interim Government, Chief Advisor Professor Muhammed Yunus, has repeatedly espoused the importance of the rule of law and justice in Bangladesh.”

The lawyers said Tulip and her lawyers had sought to address allegations with the Bangladesh authorities and asked them not to pursue the matter through the media, but these letters went “unanswered”.

They emphasised the importance of being able to understand the details of the charges and evidence against her.

The lawyers went on to criticise repeated public comments by the ACC and interim government officials.

They said, “Moreover, we note that the ACC and the Interim Leader have made repeated comments to the media about Ms Siddiq’s culpability. Dozens of media articles have been published quoting members of the ACC and the Interim Leader about her guilt.

“We find it difficult to see how such widespread media engagement by those in power, accusing Ms Siddiq of criminal wrongdoing, can be consistent with a fair and impartial trial free from interference.”

The letter urged the Bangladeshi authorities to address these issues, saying: “We respectfully appeal to the Bangladesh authorities to act to rectify these concerns. In the first instance, the allegations against Ms Siddiq should be put to her and her lawyers so that she has a fair opportunity to address them.

“Thereafter, if there is a genuine case for Ms Siddiq to answer, it should be pursued in a fair and proper way and in accordance with due process.”

The Guardian also noted that after suggestions in the media that Tulip had improperly benefited from her aunt’s rule, Sir Laurie Magnus, Keir Starmer’s independent advisor on the ministerial code, cleared her of wrongdoing in January.

Magnus had added that it was “regrettable that she was not more alert to the potential reputational risks” arising from her familial ties and her Treasury role.

Tulip resigned from her roles as economic secretary to the Treasury and City minister, saying the allegations from Bangladesh were proving a distraction for the government, the newspaper added.

“It’s a personal vendetta against her. Even famous politicians, not even from her own political party, are questioning this unfair trial. This is embarrassing for Dr Yunus,” a source close to Tulip said.

Tulip, the Labour MP for Hampstead and Highgate, is the niece of former Bangladeshi prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who was recently sentenced to death over charges related to last year’s crackdown on the July Uprising.

The case is part of a broader Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) investigation, which also names Hasina, Rehana, and 17 others, who face charges of fraud over the allocation of plots under the Purbachal New Town Project.