UK MP Tulip Siddiq Summoned by ACC in Bribery Case

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) of Bangladesh has summoned Tulip Rizwana Siddiq, a British Member of Parliament and niece of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, for questioning in a bribery case. 

She has been requested to appear at the ACC's head office on May 14th at 10:00 AM to provide a statement as an accused in the investigation of a case involving allegations of receiving a flat as a "bribe" from Eastern Housing Limited.

This information was disclosed in an ACC notice issued on Thursday, May 8th.

The ACC reportedly sent the notice to her addresses in Dhanmondi Residential Area and Gulshan-2 on Wednesday, May 7th.

In separate notices, Shah Khosruzzaman and Sardar Mosharraf Hossain, former assistant legal advisors of RAJUK (Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha), who are also accused in the same case, have been summoned to appear on May 14th.

The ACC filed a case against Tulip Siddiq on April 15th, alleging that she received a flat as a "bribe" from Eastern Housing Limited in exchange for facilitating the "illegal transfer" of a plot in Gulshan, Dhaka. The case was filed at the ACC's Dhaka Integrated District Office by Assistant Director Monirul Islam.   

The other accused in the case are Shah Mo. Khosruzzaman and Sardar Mosharraf Hossain, former assistant legal advisors of RAJUK.

According to the case documents, in 1963, then-Justice Imam Hossain Chowdhury was allotted a plot of 1 bigha, 19 kathas, and 13 chhataks in Gulshan. Under the government lease agreement, the plot could not be transferred or subdivided for sale within 99 years. However, in 1973, he transferred the plot to Mo. Mujibur Rahman Bhuiyan through a power of attorney. Subsequently, the plot was divided and sold, and construction of a building began through Zahurul Islam, chairman of Eastern Housing Limited. After Zahurul Islam's death, a dispute arose among his children, leading to litigation. During the ongoing litigation and while the transfer was prohibited, the relevant legal advisors of RAJUK approved the transfer of flats to Eastern Housing, which was illegal because the company was not the leaseholder or a legal representative. According to RAJUK records, the plot could not be transferred before the expiration of the 99-year lease period. Nevertheless, Eastern Housing was granted approval to construct and transfer 36 flats by power of attorney.   

The case documents further allege that the transfer was facilitated "illegally" in violation of the lease terms, and in exchange, Tulip Siddiq received a flat from Eastern Housing "free of charge" as an "illegal gratification." It is alleged that Tulip Siddiq committed a punishable offense by illegally influencing the approval of the power of attorney and flat sales for Eastern Housing, providing and receiving illegal benefits, and accepting a free flat.   

The accused are charged under sections 120B/409/161/162/163/164/165(A)/109 of the Penal Code, along with section 5(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1947.

A seven-member team led by ACC Deputy Director Mo. Monirul Islam is investigating various allegations against the family of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Sheikh Rehana. The other members of the team are Assistant Directors Afnan Jannat Keya, Mubashira Atiya Toma, S. M. Rashedul Hasan, A. K. M. Murtuza Ali Sagar, Mohammad Monirul Islam, and Deputy Assistant Director Mo. Abdullah Al Mamun.   

Previously, the ACC named Tulip Siddiq as an accused in a case involving plot corruption in Purbachal. A court also issued an arrest warrant against her as a co-accused in that case. On March 10th, the ACC filed six separate charge sheets against members of the family of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her sister Sheikh Rehana, former State Minister Sharif Ahmed, former Private Secretary to the Prime Minister Salauddin, and 14 officials of the National Housing and Public Works Ministry in the same case.