Bangladesh

Tulip resigns as UK minister

Starmer accepts, leaves door open for her return

Tulip Siddiq, British treasury minister, resigned yesterday after repeated questions about her financial links to the ousted Bangladeshi government run by her aunt Sheikh Hasina.

In a letter to UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Tulip, 42, repeated she had done nothing wrong but said continuing in office would likely "be a distraction from the work of the government".

Tulip, whose ministerial role included tackling corruption in UK financial markets, said she had fully declared all her financial interests and relationships.

Earlier this month, she had referred herself to Laurie Magnus, Starmer's adviser on ministerial standards, after it emerged she had lived in multiple properties associated with people with links to Sheikh Hasina.

Tulip was not found to have broken any rules by Magnus, reports The Guardian.

Labour MP Emma Reynolds has been appointed the new Economic Secretary to the Treasury.

Hasina fled after being deposed as Bangladeshi PM on August 5.

Tulip was under pressure over her occupancy of the properties, including a two-bedroom flat near King's Cross in central London and a separate home in Hampstead.

Besides, Bangladesh's Anti-Corruption Commission has launched multiple probes into the alleged corruption of Hasina and her family members, including Tulip.

Tulip is one of those named in the commission's investigation into accusations of embezzlement of $5 billion connected to a Russian-funded nuclear power plant in Bangladesh.

Bangladeshi money laundering investigators have since ordered the country's big banks to hand over details of transactions relating to Tulip as part of the probe.

In her letter of resignation, Tulip said her "family connections were a matter of public record" and that she had acted with "full transparency".

She insisted her "loyalty is and always will be" to the Labour government and the "programme of national renewal and transformation it has embarked upon".

"I have therefore decided to resign from my ministerial position."

Starmer thanked Tulip for her work and recognised that "no evidence of financial improprieties on your part" had been found.

In a letter accepting her resignation, Sir Keir said the "door remains open" for Tulip, a Labour MP for Hampstead and Highgate.

Over the weekend, a Sunday Times investigation revealed details about the claims that she spent years living in a London flat bought by an offshore company connected to two Bangladeshi businessmen.

The flat was eventually transferred as a gift to a Bangladeshi lawyer with links to Hasina, her family and her ousted government, according to the newspaper.

It also reported Tulip and her family were given or used several other London properties bought by members or associates of the Awami League party.

Hours after Tulip's resignation, a statement from Bangladesh interim government's Chief Adviser's Press Wing said Dhaka is committed to bringing back stolen money from around the world.

As Professor Yunus told The Sunday Times of London, Tulip may not have entirely understood the source of the money and property that she was enjoying in London, but she knows now and should seek forgiveness from the people of Bangladesh, it said.

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Tulip resigns as UK minister

Starmer accepts, leaves door open for her return

Tulip Siddiq, British treasury minister, resigned yesterday after repeated questions about her financial links to the ousted Bangladeshi government run by her aunt Sheikh Hasina.

In a letter to UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Tulip, 42, repeated she had done nothing wrong but said continuing in office would likely "be a distraction from the work of the government".

Tulip, whose ministerial role included tackling corruption in UK financial markets, said she had fully declared all her financial interests and relationships.

Earlier this month, she had referred herself to Laurie Magnus, Starmer's adviser on ministerial standards, after it emerged she had lived in multiple properties associated with people with links to Sheikh Hasina.

Tulip was not found to have broken any rules by Magnus, reports The Guardian.

Labour MP Emma Reynolds has been appointed the new Economic Secretary to the Treasury.

Hasina fled after being deposed as Bangladeshi PM on August 5.

Tulip was under pressure over her occupancy of the properties, including a two-bedroom flat near King's Cross in central London and a separate home in Hampstead.

Besides, Bangladesh's Anti-Corruption Commission has launched multiple probes into the alleged corruption of Hasina and her family members, including Tulip.

Tulip is one of those named in the commission's investigation into accusations of embezzlement of $5 billion connected to a Russian-funded nuclear power plant in Bangladesh.

Bangladeshi money laundering investigators have since ordered the country's big banks to hand over details of transactions relating to Tulip as part of the probe.

In her letter of resignation, Tulip said her "family connections were a matter of public record" and that she had acted with "full transparency".

She insisted her "loyalty is and always will be" to the Labour government and the "programme of national renewal and transformation it has embarked upon".

"I have therefore decided to resign from my ministerial position."

Starmer thanked Tulip for her work and recognised that "no evidence of financial improprieties on your part" had been found.

In a letter accepting her resignation, Sir Keir said the "door remains open" for Tulip, a Labour MP for Hampstead and Highgate.

Over the weekend, a Sunday Times investigation revealed details about the claims that she spent years living in a London flat bought by an offshore company connected to two Bangladeshi businessmen.

The flat was eventually transferred as a gift to a Bangladeshi lawyer with links to Hasina, her family and her ousted government, according to the newspaper.

It also reported Tulip and her family were given or used several other London properties bought by members or associates of the Awami League party.

Hours after Tulip's resignation, a statement from Bangladesh interim government's Chief Adviser's Press Wing said Dhaka is committed to bringing back stolen money from around the world.

As Professor Yunus told The Sunday Times of London, Tulip may not have entirely understood the source of the money and property that she was enjoying in London, but she knows now and should seek forgiveness from the people of Bangladesh, it said.

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