Reports have emerged that UK government officials have shortlisted a few possible alternatives for Minister Tulip Siddiq’s position.
The UK Prime Minister’s Office at 10 Downing Street is reportedly considering potential candidates to replace Tulip Siddiq, a minister from the ruling Labour Party.
This information was revealed in a report published by The Sunday Times yesterday, Thursday.
Tulip Siddiq is the daughter of Sheikh Rehana, the sister of Bangladesh’s ousted leader Sheikh Hasina. Due to her connections with Hasina’s government, there is speculation that Siddiq might be compelled to resign. In that scenario, senior aides of UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer are evaluating names of possible replacements for her position.
Tulip Siddiq is currently the Economic Secretary to the Treasury in the UK. As a minister, she is responsible for tackling financial crimes and corruption in the country’s financial sector. She is the daughter of Sheikh Rehana, sister of Bangladesh’s ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
It has been reported that UK government officials shortlisted several possible alternatives for Tulip’s position last weekend. Following this, a public statement revealed that Tulip called on the UK Prime Minister’s ethics authority last Monday to investigate the allegations against her.
Earlier, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer had stated that he has confidence in Tulip Siddiq.
On the other hand, a spokesperson for 10 Downing Street has stated that the claim about the ruling party creating a shortlist of alternatives for Tulip Siddiq’s position is “completely false.”
However, a Downing Street source told The Sunday Times that some of the Prime Minister’s close aides are informally considering potential successors for Tulip’s role.
Tulip’s aunt, Sheikh Hasina, was ousted from power in Bangladesh last August through a popular uprising. Questions have arisen regarding Tulip’s use of properties linked to several individuals associated with Hasina’s government. In this context, Tulip has written to Laurie Magnus, the UK Prime Minister’s Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards, requesting an investigation into the allegations against her. Magnus advises the Prime Minister on the conduct and ethics of ministers.
The Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU), the financial intelligence wing of Bangladesh Bank, has requested bank account information for Tulip Siddiq and seven members of her family.
Meanwhile, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) of Bangladesh is investigating whether Tulip assisted in the embezzlement of several billion pounds through a deal with Russia to establish a nuclear power plant in Bangladesh.
Among those being considered by 10 Downing Street as potential replacements for Tulip Siddiq are two aides to the UK’s Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves—Alistair Strathern and Imogen Walker.
Others reportedly under consideration for the position include Callum Anderson, Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to the Minister for Technology; Kanishk Narayan, PPS to the Environment Minister; Josh Simmons, PPS to the Justice Minister; and Rachel Blake.
The UK’s Attorney General, Lucy Rigby, and economist Torsten Bell, who is also an assistant to a UK minister, may be considered as strong alternatives for Tulip Siddiq’s position.
A source from the ruling Labour Party has suggested that Tulip’s call for an investigation into the allegations (referral) indicates that she is willing to take responsibility and resign. She appears to be heading in that direction.
Tulip has come under increasing pressure after it was revealed that a supporter of her aunt Sheikh Hasina’s party, the Awami League, gave her a £700,000 flat in London. Additionally, an advisor to Hasina gave Tulip’s sister a £650,000 flat. Following these revelations, Tulip faces growing scrutiny.
A spokesperson for Tulip has stated that the properties were linked to her support for the Awami League, and any suggestion to the contrary is “clearly wrong.”
In the referral to Laurie Magnus, Tulip Siddiq has stated that her position is clear, and she has done nothing wrong. However, to avoid any doubts, she has requested that Magnus independently uncover the accurate information related to these matters. She assured that she will provide all necessary information for this investigation.
Tulip is also facing questions on another matter. A dissenting lawyer has claimed that journalists once questioned Tulip in London. After this incident, the lawyer’s family in Bangladesh allegedly received threats from the police.
At the time of the incident, Tulip was not a member of the UK shadow cabinet. The question asked of her by Channel Four journalists concerned Mir Ahmed Bin Kasem, a Bangladeshi lawyer who studied in the UK. He was detained in 2016 while part of the legal team of a Bangladeshi opposition politician.
Mir Ahmed’s mother wrote a letter to Tulip, asking her to “look into the matter,” as she had heard Tulip speak about peace during her visit to Bangladesh.
Tulip Siddiq has stated that, at the time, she had written a letter to a minister in the UK Foreign Office. The minister had assured her that they would raise the issue with the Bangladeshi High Commission in Dhaka.
Several hours before the broadcast of the interview, members of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) of Bangladesh visited the home of Mir Ahmed’s family in Dhaka. RAB has been accused of extrajudicial killings and torture.
After the fall of Sheikh Hasina in August of the previous year, Mir Ahmed, who was released, told The Sunday Times that his wife, mother, and children had spent eight years not knowing whether he was alive or dead. No one should have to endure such pain. He said that Tulip had the power to change this situation. His experience was worse than death; it was systematic, well-planned torture.
When asked what Tulip could have done, Mir Ahmed said that the most she could have done was to raise the issue within her family. She could have inquired about whether he could be found so that his family at least knew whether he was alive or dead.
Mir Ahmed further stated that if Tulip holds her position, it would be damaging to the image of the UK and UK MPs worldwide. The UK is a symbol of human rights, freedom of association, and free speech. Bangladesh’s laws are based on British law. However, failing to stand up for these values would tarnish both the UK’s position in Bangladesh and beyond.
A close ally of Tulip has stated that Tulip was unaware of the incident mentioned by lawyer Mir Ahmed in Bangladesh and was not involved in it.
A spokesperson for Tulip has said that no evidence has been presented to support these allegations, and Tulip has not been contacted regarding the matter. She completely denies these claims.
