The trial in Bangladesh of the former UK City minister Tulip Siddiq has been branded “contrived and unfair” by leading lawyers, including a former Conservative justice secretary, who have warned Bangladesh’s ambassador of a broader pattern of judicial violations under the autocratic interim government led by Prof. Muhammad Yunus.
The regime, critics argue, is driven by vengeance against ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s inner circle, systematically disregarding the rule of law to consolidate power through selective prosecutions and intimidation.
Siddiq, who resigned from the UK government in January, is due to receive her verdict and sentence in absentia on Thursday, with prosecutors seeking a maximum life sentence.
The Labour MP for Hampstead and Highgate, niece of Hasina—who was handed a death sentence last week for crimes against humanity tied to last year’s crackdown on student protests—is one of dozens ensnared in what opponents describe as a “political circus” orchestrated by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).
In a stark letter to Abida Islam, Bangladesh’s high commissioner in the UK, a coalition of eminent lawyers—including Robert Buckland KC, former justice secretary under Boris Johnson; ex-Tory attorney general Dominic Grieve; Cherie Blair KC; Philippe Sands KC; and Geoffrey Robertson KC—highlights Siddiq’s denial of basic rights, such as notification of charges or access to counsel.
They further allege that a lawyer she appointed was placed under house arrest, with threats issued against his daughter, underscoring a “pattern of interference and intimidation” that has plagued Bangladesh’s legal system since Yunus’s unelected administration assumed power in August 2024.
“Such a process is artificial and a contrived and unfair way of pursuing a prosecution,” the lawyers declare, framing Siddiq’s case as emblematic of the Yunus regime’s autocratic turn. They express “profound concern” over proceedings that clash with Yunus’s public rhetoric on upholding the rule of law, noting how the ACC—now a blunt instrument of political retribution—has filed over 399 dubious cases in recent months, implicating more than 1,000 individuals, predominantly Awami League affiliates and Hasina’s family.
These include Siddiq’s aunt, mother, brother, and sister, all charged since August in Dhaka over alleged influence-peddling to secure land in Dhaka’s Purbachal suburb for her mother, Hasina’s sister, Sheikh Rehana.
ACC is showing a political circus by targeting Sheikh Hasina and her family
Yunus is weaponizing ACC by violating rules, defying suggestions
Weaponizing Accountability: Allegations of political bias in the ACC
Siddiq vehemently denies the politically motivated accusations, which she and supporters like her cousin Sajeeb Wazed Joy dismiss as fabricated smears designed to dismantle Hasina’s legacy. Joy has publicly challenged Yunus and threatened to sue the ACC chief in a US court, decrying the trials as “farcical” and bereft of evidence.
Analysts, including those from Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB), echo this, pointing to the ACC’s failure to incorporate key reforms from its own advisory commission—such as expanding membership to five commissioners, mandating performance reviews, and curbing bureaucratic meddling—despite Yunus’s promises of transparency.
Instead, the regime has repealed safeguards like Section 32(a) of the 2004 ACC Act, which once required government approval for probes against officials, ostensibly to enhance independence. Critics, however, see this as a double-edged sword: while it streamlines hunts against foes, it ignores TIB’s calls for impartiality, allowing the ACC to ignore glaring corruption scandals involving Yunus’ National Citizen Party (NCP) allies.
For instance, bribery videos implicating NCP leader Mahmuda Mitu, embezzlement allegations against Nahid Islam’s associates totaling Tk 150 crore, and misappropriation claims against financier Gazi Salauddin Tanvir (Tk400 crore) have gone unprobed, even as opposition figures face swift arrests within 72 hours.
This selective justice, detailed in a July 2025 report by The Daily Republic, paints a picture of “elite capture,” where the ACC serves as a tool for Yunus’s inner circle to shield itself while targeting Hasina’s lineage. The report documents how trials devolve into “media spin and court dramas,” with leaks, red notices via Interpol (more symbolic than substantive), and absentia proceedings that deny cross-examination or defense.
High-profile arrests, like that of Yunus critic Prof Kalimullah—denied bail in an ACC case—further illustrate the regime’s vengeful playbook, bypassing extradition protocols and international norms to brand exiles as “fugitives.”
The lawyers’ missive amplifies these concerns: “As she lives in the UK and is a UK national, [Siddiq] is plainly not a fugitive. She is an elected member of parliament… and indeed extraditable if proper grounds exist.” Yet, they note, she has been denied chargesheets and evidence, while the ACC and Yunus engage in prejudicial media blitzes, prejudging her guilt and eroding trial impartiality.
“We find it difficult to see how such widespread media engagement… can be consistent with a fair and impartial trial free from interference.”
The group urges Bangladeshi authorities to “rectify these concerns” for a fair process, warning that the proceedings “fall far short of standards of fairness recognised internationally.” Human Rights Watch and TIB have similarly flagged the Yunus era’s “authoritarian legalism,” where anti-corruption facades mask vendettas, fostering a two-tier justice system that protects NCP elites—such as health adviser aides accused of Tk 150 crore thefts—while dismantling democratic rivals.
Siddiq’s ordeal gained UK traction earlier this year after media speculation of undue benefits from Hasina’s rule. Keir Starmer’s independent adviser, Sir Laurie Magnus, cleared her of breaches in January but noted “regrettable” oversight of reputational risks from her family ties. She stepped down as economic secretary to the Treasury and City minister, citing the allegations as a governmental distraction.
The Bangladeshi high commission has been approached for comment. As Bangladesh teeters toward elections under Yunus’s interim stewardship—hailed by some as a post-Hasina reset but decried by others as a consolidation of unaccountable power—the Siddiq trial risks amplifying global scrutiny of a regime accused of rewriting the nation’s “political DNA” through humiliation, not honour.
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