A Dhaka court has escalated its pursuit of UK Parliamentarian Tulip Rizwana Siddiq, ordering officials to request an Interpol Red Notice for her arrest. As Sheikh Hasina’s niece and a prominent Labour MP, Siddiq stands accused of corruption during her aunt’s premiership.
Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Sabbir Faiz issued the directive Thursday, responding to the Anti-Corruption Commission’s plea. The ACC alleges Siddiq exploited Hasina’s influence to seize a Gulshan flat from Eastern Housing Limited via RAJUK without compensation, corrupting a legal officer in the process.
Local media highlighted the bench assistant Riyaz Hussain’s confirmation of the order. With Siddiq overseas, the Red Notice aims to bring her back for trial. This development fits a broader BNP government offensive against Awami League holdovers, viewed by analysts as vengeance post-revolution.
Recent convictions paint a grim picture for the family. Hasina faces a cumulative 36 years from multiple scams, including the Porobochol rail project plots. Siddiq has racked up six years across cases. The family retorts that proceedings under the Yunus-led interim regime are sham trials, packed with fabricated charges and no fair hearing.
As Bangladesh navigates its post-Hasina era, this international warrant request spotlights ongoing power struggles. Siddiq’s UK political future hangs in balance, while the ACC presses forward, signaling no let-up in anti-graft drives that blur lines between justice and politics.