LONDON — The UK’s anti-corruption minister, Tulip Siddiq, announced her resignation on Tuesday amidst increasing scrutiny regarding her connections to former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, her aunt.
Although Siddiq stated that she had been cleared of any misconduct, she chose to step down from her position as economic secretary to the Treasury, citing that the controversy was detracting from the government’s focus.
Siddiq, 42, has been a prominent figure since she was elected as a member of Parliament for a north London constituency in 2015 after serving as a local councilor. Following a decisive victory for Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labour Party in July, she was appointed to the government, only to face pressure to resign due to revelations regarding her residence in London properties associated with her aunt.
Starmer expressed regret over Siddiq’s departure in his correspondence, noting that the ethics adviser on ministerial interests, Laurie Magnus, had found no violations of the Ministerial Code nor any evidence of financial misconduct on her part. He also encouraged Siddiq by stating that the possibility of her returning to government remains open in the future.
Sheikh Hasina, who served as Bangladesh’s prime minister for a total of 15 years, was ousted from power in August 2024 amid widespread protests that resulted in numerous casualties. Following her ousting, Hasina relocated to India and currently faces multiple legal challenges, including allegations related to crimes against humanity stemming from the violent protests.
In her role as the UK minister responsible for combating corruption within financial markets, Siddiq was recently linked to an anti-corruption probe in Bangladesh focusing on Hasina. It was claimed that her relatives were involved in a controversial 2013 agreement with Russia regarding a nuclear power plant, where significant sums of money were reportedly misappropriated.
Magnus indicated that he took Siddiq’s assertion of having no involvement in any discussions between the governments of Bangladesh and Russia at face value. However, further inquiries into her ties to her aunt’s administration intensified when reports surfaced in prominent newspapers alleging that she had been utilizing two London apartments provided by associates of the Awami League, the party led by Hasina.
While Magnus acknowledged certain limitations due to “a lack of records and lapse of time” that obstructed a complete investigation, he stated, “I have not identified evidence of improprieties” regarding the properties. Ultimately, he concluded that Siddiq had not violated ministerial standards but expressed disappointment that she had not been more conscious of the potential reputational dangers tied to her family’s associations in Bangladesh.
