Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Chairman Mohammad Abdul Momen has stated that ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s niece and British MP Tulip Siddiq presents herself as either Bangladeshi or British, depending on which is more convenient.
Speaking at a press conference at ACC headquarters on Monday afternoon, Momen said, “Tulip’s tax returns reflect this dual identity. Regardless of her claims of being British, documentary evidence shows she must be treated as a Bangladeshi citizen. This selective identity adoption is questionable.”
The ACC chairman questioned why Tulip would resign from her ministerial position if she was truly innocent, asking, “If she claims innocence, why did her lawyer write to us? If she knew nothing, why resign?”
Momen confirmed that the ACC considers Tulip a Bangladeshi citizen and is proceeding with legal actions accordingly. “She faces three active cases here, with another being prepared. A newspaper recently reported that she has earned Tk9 lakh from a Bangladeshi fish farm in 2013,” he revealed.
Highlighting irregularities, Momen noted discrepancies in Tulip’s gold holdings: “Her declared gold suddenly increased from 10 to 30 bhori without corresponding price changes in tax filings.”
Regarding Tulip’s failed attempt to meet Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus in London, Momen said, “The chief adviser rightly declined. Bangladeshi law doesn’t permit such meetings for accused individuals.”
The ACC is sending summons to all known addresses linked to Tulip regarding allegations, including irregularities in RAJUK plots and Gulshan land allocations. “We’ve informed her lawyer that she must face our courts,” Momen stated, adding that newspaper notices would follow if needed.
Earlier, Tulip had invited Yunus to a House of Commons tea during his UK visit to “clear misunderstandings” about Bangladeshi graft probes, receiving no response from the chief adviser.