MP's £600k Bangladesh Flat Ownership Under Scrutiny; Allegations of Misleading Parliament Surface

Former City Minister Tulip Siddiq is under scrutiny over allegations that she may have misled Parliament regarding the ownership of a £600,000 flat in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

The property, located in the Bangladeshi capital, is currently under an asset-freezing order issued at the request of the country’s Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), which is investigating the Labour MP.

Ms Siddiq, 42, maintains her innocence and told the Mail that her parents gifted her the apartment in 2002. She claimed she legally transferred it to her sister, Azmina, then 34, shortly after being elected to Parliament in May 2015.

According to the Register of Members’ Interests, Siddiq was listed as co-owner of the property with a family member in June 2015, with the transfer of ownership reportedly completed by the next month.

However, recent checks by the Mail at Dhaka’s Sub Registry Office suggest she may still be the legal owner — aligning with the ACC’s claim. The final decision on ownership now lies with a Bangladeshi court.

In 2015, Siddiq attempted to transfer the flat using a Heba, an Islamic deed allowing assets to be gifted to relatives. But legal experts argue that such transfers are not valid under Bangladeshi law unless recorded officially at the Sub Registry Office.

The ACC alleges the Heba document is fraudulent, noting that the barrister listed as authenticating it has denied any involvement and claimed his signature was forged. Siddiq's legal team insists the transfer was valid and argues she had declared co-ownership since her sister received all rental income from the property.

Her representatives have dismissed the ACC’s claims as “false and vexatious.”

Her lawyer, Paul Thwaite, stated that a Bangladeshi legal expert had advised him that the Heba was sufficient for the transfer, and questioned the reliability of the Registry’s records. He labelled suggestions that Siddiq misled Parliament as “untrue and nonsensical.”

Ms Siddiq previously stepped down as City Minister in January after controversy surrounding a £700,000 London flat gifted to her by a UK-based developer linked to her aunt, Sheikh Hasina, the former Prime Minister of Bangladesh. She had earlier told the Mail in 2022 that the London property was purchased for her by her parents. A probe by ethics adviser Sir Laurie Magnus concluded she had unintentionally misled the public.

Responding on X last week, Siddiq described the ACC’s allegations as “baseless.” She stated: “Here in the U.K., we have due process, the rule of law and a tradition of fair play. I would happily respond to any legitimate questions, but I will not be drawn into dirty politics, nor allow their witch-hunt to undermine my work as a British citizen and proud member of the U.K. Parliament.”