Dhaka, Nov 26 (V7N) – Prominent British lawyers, including a former minister from the UK Conservative government, have expressed serious concerns over the ongoing trial of Tulip Siddiq, daughter of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s sister and former UK City Minister. They sent a letter to Bangladesh’s High Commissioner in the UK, Abida Islam, ahead of the verdict scheduled for December 1 in Dhaka. The news was reported by The Guardian on Tuesday.

The lawyers highlighted that during a time when Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser, Professor Muhammad Yunus, has emphasized the importance of the rule of law and justice, the trial process in the country raises serious questions. They claimed that Siddiq has been denied proper legal representation and her fundamental rights were not safeguarded. According to the letter, she was not informed of the specific charges against her, making the trial process appear artificial, contrived, and unjust.

Tulip Siddiq, a Labour Party MP representing Hampstead and Highgate in London, faces charges in connection with the suppression of the July 2024 uprising in Bangladesh, a case which also involves her maternal aunt, mother, brother, and other relatives. The International Crimes Tribunal in Dhaka has sentenced her aunt, Sheikh Hasina, to death for crimes against humanity. Bangladesh’s prosecution has demanded life imprisonment as the maximum sentence for Siddiq, who is being tried in absentia.

Previously, Siddiq resigned from her City Minister position in the UK on January 14 amid corruption allegations, which were later dismissed following an investigation by Sir Laurie Magnus, an independent advisor to the UK Prime Minister, confirming no wrongdoing.

Signatories of the letter include Robert Buckland-Cassi, a former Justice Minister under Prime Minister Boris Johnson, and former Attorney General Dominic Grieve. The letter emphasized that, as Siddiq is a UK citizen and an elected MP, she is not a fugitive and can be contacted through the House of Commons. The lawyers urged Bangladeshi authorities to address these concerns to ensure a fair and transparent judicial process.

Siddiq has stated that the charges, including allegations of using influence to secure a land plot for her mother in Dhaka, are politically motivated.

END/V7D/SMA/