British MP Tulip Siddiq, niece of the ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, has stated that the judicial process in Bangladesh that concluded in her absence, regarding the plot corruption allegations, is "flawed and a farce."

In an immediate reaction given to the British media outlet The Guardian, she said she sees no reason to give any weight to the verdict.

"The whole process has been flawed from start to finish and is nothing more than a farce. The outcome of this 'kangaroo court' was as predictable as it is completely irrational."

Judge Rabiul Alam of Dhaka's Special Judge’s Court4 delivered the verdict on Monday (December 1), sentencing Tulip Siddiq to two years in jail, her mother Sheikh Rehana to seven years, and her aunt, the ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, to five years in jail.

The case alleges that Sheikh Rehana allocated a 10katha plot in the Purbachal New Town project "by concealing information and breaking the law through corruption" despite already owning a house, apartment, or housing facility in Dhaka city. Sheikh Hasina allegedly "abused her power" to "aid" her sister in getting the plot allocation. And British MP Tulip Siddiq "influenced" her aunt, Sheikh Hasina, to secure the plot for her mother, Rehana.

Tulip has consistently denied these allegations, calling them "politically motivated smears."

Following the fall of the Awami League government on August 5, 2024, Sheikh Hasina left for India. Her sister, Sheikh Rehana, accompanied her at the time. Tulip remains in the United Kingdom.

The trial proceeded by treating them as 'fugitives,' meaning no lawyers had the opportunity to argue the case on their behalf.

Five senior lawyers in the United Kingdom recently wrote a letter to the Bangladeshi Ambassador in the UK, sharply criticizing the judicial process.

The letter stated that former UK Minister of State Tulip Siddiq was not given the "minimum right" to fight the case; she was afforded "neither adequate understanding of the allegations nor the opportunity to appoint a lawyer."

The letter also alleged that the lawyer Tulip wanted to appoint in Bangladesh was "forced to step down, placed under house arrest, and his daughter was threatened."

In his observation during the verdict on Monday, Judge Rabiul Alam said, "Since the defendants are citizens of Bangladesh, there is no legal bar to trying the accused regardless of their location in the world. The provision for appointing a State Defence Lawyer for a fugitive accused only exists in cases involving a death penalty clause."

"Since the charges against the accused in this case do not involve any death penalty clause, there is no scope for appointing a Defence Lawyer for the accused."

Tulip Siddiq resigned from her post as a UK City Minister last January amid criticism over receiving a flat in London worth £700,000 as a 'gift' from a developer close to the Sheikh Hasina government after its fall.

Before that, immediately after the fall of the Awami League, Tulip's name surfaced in allegations of corruption in the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant project. The issue created a stir in the British media at the time. Subsequently, the 'gifted' flat received by Tulip and her sister became a topic of intense discussion.

Tulip Siddiq transferred a flat in Gulshan, which she had received from her parents, to her sister Ruponti in 2015. However, the AntiCorruption Commission (ACC) reported that the notary used for the transfer was later proven to be 'fake' in an investigation.

In reaction to the arrest warrant issued against Tulip in April following the ACC case over irregularities in the Purbachal plot allocation, her lawyer alleged that although the ACC claimed to be investigating Tulip 'based on authentic documents,' they failed to produce any.

The lawyer also claimed that attempts to contact the ACC were 'unanswered,' thereby violating the Labour MP's 'fundamental right to justice.'

In contrast, ACC Chairman Mohammad Abdul Momen said at the time, "If Tulip is innocent, why did she resign? Why did she ask her lawyers to contact the ACC? The ACC had requested her lawyer via email to participate in the legal battle for this case in Bangladesh."

The Labour Party formed the government in the UK with a landslide victory in the middle of last year, and Tulip Siddiq, a fourtime consecutive MP, was appointed Minister of State for Financial Services.

Tulip, the daughter of Bangabandhu's youngest daughter Sheikh Rehana and Shafiq Siddiqee, was first elected as an MP in 2015. She was reelected in 2017 and 2019.

Born in Mitcham, London, Tulip spent her childhood in Bangladesh, India, and Singapore. She holds a Master's degree in Politics, Policy, and Government from King's College London.

In three other Purbachal plot corruption cases last Thursday, another court sentenced Tulip's aunt, Sheikh Hasina, to a total of 21 years of rigorous imprisonment. Her son, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, and daughter, Saima Wazed Putul, were sentenced to five years each.

Prior to that, on November 17, the International Crimes Tribunal sentenced Sheikh Hasina to death in a case of crimes against humanity for her attempts to suppress the July movement.

Two other Purbachal plot corruption cases are currently at the evidencetaking stage in court. In those two cases, Tulip’s brother Radwan Mujib Siddiq Bobby and Azmina Siddiq Ruponti are also defendants along with Sheikh Hasina and Tulip.