Former British city minister Tulip Rizwana Siddiq has asked to meet Bangladesh interim government chief adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus during his London visit to clear up a 鈥渕isunderstanding鈥� after corruption allegations made by his administration led her to resign from the UK government, The Guardian reported on Sunday.
Tulip Siddiq , daughter of Sheikh Rehana and niece of deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina, is an accused in a case filed in mid-April this year by the Anti-Corruption Commission for grabbing a flat at a project of Eastern Housing Limited in the Gulshan area of Dhaka through 鈥榓buse of power and influence鈥� during the Sheikh Hasina regime.
Tulip, according to media reports, denied the allegation and her lawyers described as being 鈥榩olitically motivated鈥� and without foundation.
The Guardian reported that Tulip, in a letter to Muhammad Yunus, had asked for an opportunity to discuss the ongoing controversy during his visit to London next week where he will meet King Charles and see Keir Starmer in Downing Street.
In her letter, she writes that she hopes a meeting might 鈥榟elp clear up the misunderstanding perpetuated by the anti-corruption committee in Dhaka that I have questions to answer in relation to my mother鈥檚 sister, the former prime minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina鈥�, the report said.
She continued, 鈥業 am a UK citizen, born in London and representing the people of Hampstead and Highgate in parliament for the last decade.
鈥業 have no property nor any business interests whatsoever in Bangladesh. The country is dear to my heart but it is not the country where I was born, live in or have built my career in.
鈥業 have sought to clarify this to the ACC but they refuse to engage with my lawyers in London and apparently keep sending correspondence to a random address in Dhaka,鈥� the report quoted the letter as saying.
Siddiq added, 鈥楨very move in this fantasy investigation is briefed to the media, and yet no engagement was facilitated with my legal team.
鈥業 know you鈥檒l appreciate how important it is to ensure those reports do not become a distraction from the critical work of doing my very best for my constituents and my country,鈥� the report also quoted the letter as saying.
Chief adviser鈥檚 press secretary Shafiqul Alam on Sunday said that the interim government had not yet received any letter from Tulip Siddiq, reportedly seeking a meeting with chief adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus during his official visit to the United Kingdom.
鈥楾he government has not yet received any such letter,鈥� United News of Bangladesh quoted Shafiqul Alam as saying.
鈥榃e cannot comment on something we have not seen,鈥� UNB also quoted the press secretary as saying.