Starmer stands by UK City minister amid Bangladesh corruption probe

LONDON — U.K. Prime Minster Keir Starmer continues to have confidence in an under-fire Treasury minister after she was named in a Bangladeshi embezzlement probe, No.10 Downing Street said Thursday.

The Daily Mail first reported that Tulip Siddiq, who is the niece of Bangladesh’s ousted leader Sheikh Hasina, is being investigated by the country’s Anti-Corruption Commission in connection with a nuclear deal involving the Russian state-backed firm Rosatom.

The deal was reportedly signed in 2013 in the presence of future MP Siddiq, Hasina and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

It’s part of a wider corruption investigation being undertaken on the instruction of Bangladesh’s new government, and comes after Hasina fled the country earlier this year following 15 years in charge.

Downing Street said Thursday that Starmer continues to have confidence in Siddiq, and said she will continue to hold the anti-corruption brief in her role as the Treasury’s economic secretary.

The spokesperson said Siddiq had declared her interests and denied “the allegations that have been made in the press.” The minister had, they said, “not been involved with any decisions relating to Bangladesh since entering government.”

Syed Faruk, the U.K. general-secretary of Hasina’s Awami League party — described by the Mail as “a family friend” of Siddiq — said: “These are 100 per cent politically motivated attacks against the Hasina family by the current government.”

Mark Garnier, who is Siddiq’s opposite number as Conservative Shadow City minister, told POLITICO: “Like anyone, Tulip is entitled to justice and I expect her and her family to be given the opportunity to respond formally to these allegations.”

Hannah Brenton contributed reporting.