Bangladesh authorities seek Siddiq account details

Bangladesh’s anti-money laundering agency has asked the country’s banks for details of accounts and transactions linked to Treasury minister Tulip Siddiq.

The Bangladesh monetary Intelligence Unit (BFIU) is also seeking details related to Siddiq’s sister, brother, mother as well as her aunt Sheikh Hasina, the country’s former prime minister.

It comes after Siddiq was named last month in an investigation into claims Sheikh Hasina and her household embezzled up to £3.9bn from infrastructure spending in Bangladesh.

A spokesperson for Tulip Siddiq said: “No evidence has been presented for these allegations. Tulip has not been contacted by anyone on the matter and totally refutes the claims.”

Allies of Siddiq insist she has no lender accounts outside the UK, and has not been contacted by the Bangladeshi authorities.

The investigation in Bangladesh is based on a series of allegations made by Bobby Hajjaj, a elder political opponent of Hasina, who fled Bangladesh last August amid deadly protests against her government.

A source close to Siddiq has previously described the allegations as “trumped up” and designed to damage her aunt.

A elder official at the BFIU told the BBC: “BFIU has issued directives to all banks and monetary institutions of Bangladesh to send the information and deal details of Sheikh Hasina, Sheikh Rehana, Hasina’s son Sajeeb Wazed Joy, Hasina’s daughter Saima Wazed Putul, Rehana’s daughters Tulip Siddiq and Azmina Siddiq and Rehana’s son Radwan Mujib Siddiq Bobby and their business enterprises.”

On Monday, Siddiq referred herself to the prime minister’s standards adviser after controversy over her links to her aunt’s political movement.

Siddiq had faced growing calls for an investigation after reports in recent days she had lived in London properties linked to allies of her aunt.

In her note to Sir Laurie Magnus, who polices standards among government ministers, she said: “I am obvious that I have done nothing incorrect.”

Downing Street confirmed Sir Laurie would now conduct a “truth-finding” exercise to determine if “further action” was needed, including a further investigation.

A spokesman for PM Sir Keir Starmer said the results would be made community, but did not specific a timescale for the procedure to conclude.

Sir Keir has said he has confidence in Siddiq, who as Economic Secretary to the Treasury is responsible for tackling economic crime, money laundering and illicit finance.