Calls are growing for Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer to sack his anti-corruption minister Tulip Siddiq over properties she allegedly received through her aunt, Sheikh Hasina, the ousted Bangladesh leader.
The predominantly Muslim country’s interim leader Muhammad Yunus said that Ms Siddiq and her family should return homes if they were bought after “plain robbery” by the former government.
He wants the London properties to be part of an inquiry into alleged fraud by members of the previous Bangladesh government overthrown last summer.
Mr Yunus, a Nobel peace prize-winning economist, has also urged Ms Siddiq to apologise for the actions of her aunt, Sheikh Hasina, who is accused of widespread corruption and humanitarian crimes.
Ms Siddiq, the Economic Secretary to the Treasury and a friend of Mr Starmer, referred herself to investigation by the prime minister’s adviser on ethics last week. She also claims that she is a victim of trumped-up allegations.
But speaking from the capital Dhaka, Mr Yunus told The Sunday Times that if a British politician was caught-up in wrongdoing it was “a big deal”.
“If a UK parliament member is involved, definitely it’s a big issue … we got used to [Ms Hasina’s] taking away everything.”
The newspaper’s investigation also discovered that Ms Siddiq spent years living in a north London property purchased by an offshore company named in the leaked Panama Papers and connected to two Bangladeshi businessmen.
Ms Siddiq strongly denies benefitting from the purchase which is now being investigated by Bangladesh’s Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).
An official report has disclosed that the elite around Ms Hasina removed billions of dollars from Bangladesh using some of the cash to purchase London properties.
Britain’s National Crime Agency, the equivalent to the FBI, has sent investigators to Bangladesh and could seek to freeze assets in the UK.
In reference to the properties used by members of Ms Hasina’s family in London, Mr Yunus said: “Absolutely, it’s about plain robbery. Nothing else.”
While the leader said it was not his place to call for Ms Siddiq’s resignation, Britain’s Conservative party opposition leader Kemi Badenoch said that a diplomatic crisis could develop if she was not removed. “The prime minister’s weak leadership on Siddiq suggests he is not as bothered by integrity as he claims,” she added.
It had also been reported that the politician took free hospitality during the 2019 cricket world cup from a person closely linked to her aunt.
In her register of MP’s interests, Ms Siddiq, 42, watched Bangladesh play New Zealand and Pakistan with her box tickets costing £358.80 ($445), including lunch.
Ms Siddiq’s ministerial post has come under further pressure after Bangladesh’s Financial Intelligence Unit demanded that banks provide them details of all transactions of accounts linked to her.
While Mr Starmer has said that he would await the findings of his ethics adviser it is understood that Downing Street is considering a replacement for Ms Siddiq, whose responsibilities include “countering economic crime, money laundering and illicit finance”.
Ms Hasina, who served a total of 20 years as Bangladesh’s prime minister, is currently in India after she fled the country in August last year following mass riots over police killings of civilians.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Tottenham 0-1 Ajax, Tuesday
Second leg
Ajax v Tottenham, Wednesday, May 8, 11pm
Game is on BeIN Sports
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“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
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Plastic tipping points
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
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Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
If you go...
Fly from Dubai or Abu Dhabi to Chiang Mai in Thailand, via Bangkok, before taking a five-hour bus ride across the Laos border to Huay Xai. The land border crossing at Huay Xai is a well-trodden route, meaning entry is swift, though travellers should be aware of visa requirements for both countries.
Flights from Dubai start at Dh4,000 return with Emirates, while Etihad flights from Abu Dhabi start at Dh2,000. Local buses can be booked in Chiang Mai from around Dh50
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65
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
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FIXTURES
Monday, January 28
Iran v Japan, Hazza bin Zayed Stadium (6pm)
Tuesday, January 29
UAEv Qatar, Mohamed Bin Zayed Stadium (6pm)
Friday, February 1
Final, Zayed Sports City Stadium (6pm)
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2017: Golden State bt Cleveland 4-1
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2013: Miami bt San Antonio 4-3
2012: Miami bt Oklahoma City 4-1
2011: Dallas bt Miami 4-2
2010: Los Angeles Lakers bt Boston 4-3
2009: Los Angeles Lakers bt Orlando 4-1
2008: Boston bt Los Angeles Lakers 4-2
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If you go
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Seattle from Dh5,555 return, including taxes. Portland is a 260 km drive from Seattle and Emirates offers codeshare flights to Portland with its partner Alaska Airlines.
The car
Hertz (www.hertz.ae) offers compact car rental from about $300 per week, including taxes. Emirates Skywards members can earn points on their car hire through Hertz.
Parks and accommodation
For information on Crater Lake National Park, visit www.nps.gov/crla/index.htm . Because of the altitude, large parts of the park are closed in winter due to snow. While the park’s summer season is May 22-October 31, typically, the full loop of the Rim Drive is only possible from late July until the end of October. Entry costs $25 per car for a day. For accommodation, see www.travelcraterlake.com. For information on Umpqua Hot Springs, see www.fs.usda.gov and https://soakoregon.com/umpqua-hot-springs/. For Bend, see https://www.visitbend.com/.
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