Chief Adviser Dr Muhammad Yunus has called on Britain’s anti-corruption minister Tulip Siddiq, niece of Sheikh Hasina who has faced controversy over corruption charges, to apologize for using property given to her and her family by the Awami League regime.
Muhammad Yunus told The Sunday Times that the London properties used by Tulip Siddiq should be investigated and returned if she is found to have benefited from “common robbery”.
The London homes linked to Siddiq should be investigated as part of a continuing investigation into fraud and embezzlement, Yunus told the British news outlet.
The comments are his first on the scandal involving Siddiq, 42, and will increase pressure on her to resign. However, there are suggestions the No 10 is already looking for a replacement, according to the Sunday Times report.
Yunus’s intervention came as a Sunday Times investigation found that Siddiq spent years in a Hampstead property bought by an offshore company named in the Panama Papers and linked to two Bangladeshi businessmen.
During an interview with the Times on Thursday at the Jamuna State Guest House, his official residence in the capital, Yunus said it was an “irony” that Siddiq had been accused of corruption.
Yunus referred to a recently published official report which found that those linked to the Awami League regime had been taking billions of dollars a year from Bangladesh, with some of the funds used to buy assets including real estate abroad.
“They pointed out how money is stolen, but it’s not stealing – when you steal, you hide it. It’s a robbery,” he said.
Asked if it could apply to properties used by members of Hasina’s family in London, the chief adviser said: “Absolutely, it is pure robbery. Nothing else.”
“If a British MP is involved, it’s definitely a big issue … we got used to (the previous regime) removing everything, so we’re relieved that you’re bringing this (issue) to the world’s attention.
On the extent of corruption, he added, “The word ‘tainted’ is a very soft word. (The country is) totally ruined. It is not polluted. (Hasina’s regime) had no intention of maintaining any semblance of … what honesty is, what transparency is. They had no qualms about ruining it all. So that’s what we inherited.
When asked if Siddiq’s properties should be investigated by the ACC, Yunus said “absolutely”. He added that the commission should look at “the whole thing”.
He also said that, if possible, the properties bought by Awami League allies should be returned. “That’s the intention of the interim government. How to bring them back. Because it’s about people’s money. And when I say people, it’s not about the billions that you’re talking about, (it’s) ordinary people,” he said.
While speaking to the Times, Yunus also joked about the “generous” philanthropy of Shayan Rahman, son of Salman F Rahman, who has given £250,000 to one of the king’s charities.
“Generous person, you see? How generous … We’re mentioning Shayan by name now, but there are a lot of Shayans going to cocktail parties right now who haven’t been named yet. When you have free money, you can do whatever you want, you want to go near someone and throw money, you have a ticket here, you sit next to the person you want to look for, he said.
In the interview, Yunus said his officials aimed to recover cash and assets held abroad but originating from funds in Bangladesh.
“Wherever they live, wherever they have palaces, whole complexes of properties bought, you see in many capitals, not far from us, the countries very close to us. Then Great Britain, we will try to find them. And then go further further , the Caribbean, USA, Canada.”
According to the Sunday Times, the National Crime Agency (NCA), Britain’s equivalent of the FBI, has indicated its willingness to help Bangladesh recover some assets.
Yunus said he hoped for continued cooperation with law enforcement agencies in all countries involved, including Britain. “Respective governments should look into it, regardless of the reasons,” he said in the interview.
The British news outlet also spoke to Mahfuz Alam, an adviser to the interim government and a student leader of the anti-discrimination student movement, regarding the issue.
Describing Siddiq as part of Sheikh Hasina’s “family business”, Mahfuz said that giving property to family members abroad was “a coordinated process that went on (carried out) for 15 years”. “They looted money and (helped) the people who will vouch for her and her policies.”
He added, “It is the system to make oligarchs… it was that nexus, the Sheikh (Hasina) family, not just Sheikh Rehana or Hasina, the Sheikh’s family around Bangladesh… and again oligarchs who looted public money from many banks. “
However, Siddiq continues to defend himself in the face of mounting criticism. She says she is the victim of trumped-up allegations and has yet to be contacted by the ACC.
Pressure fitting on Stammer to bag Tulip
Meanwhile, Kemi Badenoch, the Conservative opposition leader, said Sir Keir Starmer should remove Siddiq from his post and warned of a diplomatic crisis, the Times reports.
“The prime minister tried to make a big deal out of his commitment to standards and integrity. His weak leadership on Siddiq suggests he is not as bothered by integrity as he claims,” says Badenoch.
According to the report, Labor MPs have been reluctant to speak out, with many said to be questioning why Starmer has taken so long to act.
Starmer and Siddiq are friends and constituency neighbours, while the prime minister has faced criticism for his closeness to the British branch of the Awami League.
