Tulip Siddiq’s campaign leaflets, gold-trimmed pen found in Ganabhaban

According to a report published on Monday by the British online publication The Independent, political fliers for anti-corruption minister Tulip Siddiq and posters for the UK’s Labour Party were discovered among the remains of the deposed Bangladeshi prime minister’s ravaged official mansion, Ganabhaban.

In the midst of inquiries concerning her aunt Sheikh Hasina, who was ousted from office following demonstrations against her reign last year, standards watchdog Sir Laurie Magnus is looking into the Treasury minister, who is in charge of combating financial crime.

An anti-corruption commission in Bangladesh is looking into the fallen prime minister.

Siddiq was alleged to have been involved in brokering a 2013 deal with Russia for a nuclear power plant in Bangladesh in which large sums of cash are said to have been embezzled, said The Independent report cited British daily The Times.

It comes after reports that Siddiq lived in properties in London linked to allies of her aunt. The corruption minister referred herself to Sir Laurie on Monday last week. In a letter to Sir Laurie asking for an investigation to be opened, she maintained she had done nothing wrong.

But according to The Times, Siddiq’s campaign materials were discovered among luxury items and documents in the ransacked official residence of her aunt. The newspaper shared pictures of the fliers amongst the rubble.
 
‘Chanel and Swarovski’ bags, a diamond certificate, and a $1,500 gold-trimmed Montblanc pen were also found on the Dhaka house, The Times said.

Siddiq did the correct thing by sending herself to the independent adviser on ministerial interests, according to Cabinet Office Minister Pat McFadden, who stated on Monday morning that he has complete faith in her.

When Times Radio asked McFadden if he had complete faith in his colleague, he said, “Yes.”

It comes amid calls for Sir Keir Starmer to sack Siddiq over the allegations, with Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch saying: “He appointed his personal friend as anti-corruption minister and she is accused herself of corruption”.
 
“Now the government of Bangladesh is raising serious concerns about her links to the regime of Sheikh Hasina.”
 
“It’s time for Keir Starmer to sack Tulip Siddiq,” the Tory leader said.