Bangladesh court issues arrest warrant for Sheikh Hasina’s niece
Dhaka court seeks arrest of British Labour parliamentarian Tulip Siddiq in Gulshan flat corruption case
DHAKA, Bangladesh (MNTV) — A Bangladeshi court has issued an arrest warrant for British Labour Member of Parliament Tulip Siddiq, a niece of ousted former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, in a corruption case tied to a residential flat in Dhaka’s upscale Gulshan neighborhood.
Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Md. Sabbir Faiz issued the warrant Wednesday after formally accepting a charge sheet filed by Bangladesh’s Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), court officials said.
ACC prosecutor Mir Ahmed Ali Salam said the court approved the arrest warrants after determining that the accused were absconding. The judge set March 8 as the deadline for authorities to submit a report on efforts to execute the order.
The case alleges that Siddiq used political influence to secure ownership of a flat in Gulshan-2, one of Dhaka’s most affluent districts. Investigators claim the property was provided by a private developer, Eastern Housing, as a bribe in exchange for favorable treatment.
According to the charge sheet, Siddiq accepted the flat without making payment and later exercised authority to formalize its documentation and approval. Prosecutors describe the transaction as part of a “criminal conspiracy and abuse of power” involving multiple officials.
Two former assistant legal advisers at RAJUK — Bangladesh’s capital development authority responsible for urban planning — Shah Md. Khosruzzaman and Sardar Mosharraf Hossain have also been named as defendants in the case.
The warrant adds to mounting legal troubles for Siddiq in Bangladesh. In a separate case related to alleged irregularities in the allocation of land in the Purbachal area near Dhaka, a court previously convicted her alongside members of her family.
That case involved accusations that influence was used to secure a 10-katha residential plot for her mother, Sheikh Rehana. Rehana was sentenced to seven years in prison, while Sheikh Hasina received a five-year sentence. Other defendants were handed five-year terms.
Siddiq has denied wrongdoing in both cases. She stepped down from a ministerial post in the United Kingdom after earlier allegations involving property transactions in London and Dhaka but has maintained that the charges are politically motivated.
The arrest warrant raises potential diplomatic and legal questions, including whether Bangladeshi authorities will pursue international legal channels to seek her return. As a sitting British lawmaker, any extradition effort would likely involve complex judicial and political processes in the United Kingdom.
Have Your Say!
Have you been affected by the issues raised in this story? Please share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@soundvision.com.
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a Muslim Network TV’s representative. You can also get in touch in the following ways:
Tweet: @MuslimNetworkTV
We must take charge of our narrative. Research indicates that 92% of their Muslim coverage is negative. Help us change that.
