A group of charities has called for Tulip Siddiq to step down from her ministerial role overseeing UK anti-corruption policy due to concerns about her connections to the former Bangladeshi regime led by her aunt, Sheikh Hasina.
The UK Anti-Corruption Coalition, which includes organizations like Oxfam, Transparency International, and Spotlight on corruption, issued a statement on Monday urging the Treasury minister to hand over her anti-corruption role, reports the guardian.
Tulip Siddiq is the daughter of Sheikh Rehana, the sister of Bangladesh's ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. While she serves as the UK's anti-corruption minister, she faces allegations of corruption.
Tulip is accused of embezzling nearly $5 billion allocated for infrastructure development in Bangladesh and receiving a flat as a gift in London.
Following the allegations, Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch called on Prime Minister Keir Starmer to dismiss Tulip.
Last week, Siddiq referred herself to Laurie Magnus, the prime minister’s adviser on ministerial interests. However, the group stated that she should be removed from her anti-corruption role, regardless of Magnus’s findings.
The group said in its statement: “Siddiq currently has a serious conflict of interests. The Treasury minister is in charge of the UK’s framework on money laundering regulations and economic crime enforcement, while she also has direct family ties to a deposed regime that may be investigated under that framework.”
“This conflict stands regardless of the outcome of the investigation by the independent adviser into whether a breach of the ministerial code has occurred.”
The group called for her to give her responsibility for countering economic crime, money laundering and illicit finance to another government minister.
Hasina was removed from her position on 2024 as prime minister and fled the country after days of protests led by students. The protests were met with a strong response from security forces, resulting in deaths of Bangladeshi people.
It was also revealed that former campaign posters for Siddiq were found in Hasina’s residence after she left the country.
Bd- pratidin English/ Afia
