Tulip Siddiq, former UK city minister and niece of ousted Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina, has asked to meet Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus to clear up a "misunderstanding" after corruption allegations made by his administration led her to resign from the UK government.
In a letter to the chief adviser, Tulip has asked for an opportunity to discuss the ongoing controversy during his visit to London next week, where he will meet King Charles and see Keir Starmer in Downing Street, reports The Guardian.
The Guardian report says in her letter, Tulip wrote that she hopes a meeting might "help clear up the misunderstanding perpetuated by the anti-corruption committee in Dhaka that I have questions to answer in relation to my mother's sister, the former prime minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina."
She continued: "I am a UK citizen, born in London and representing the people of Hampstead and Highgate in parliament for the last decade.
"I have no property nor any business interests whatsoever in Bangladesh. The country is dear to my heart but it is not the country where I was born, live in or have built my career in.
"I have sought to clarify this to the ACC but they refuse to engage with my lawyers in London and apparently keep sending correspondence to a random address in Dhaka."
Tulip added: "Every move in this fantasy investigation is briefed to the media, and yet no engagement was facilitated with my legal team.
"I know you'll appreciate how important it is to ensure those reports do not become a distraction from the critical work of doing my very best for my constituents and my country."
ACC investigates Tulip on multiple fronts
So far, Tulip Siddiq has been named in multiple ACC inquiries. She is accused of benefiting from the Rooppur nuclear power plant deal with Russia, influencing her aunt, Hasina, into allocating Rajuk land to family members, and laundering money.
On 17 December last year, the ACC launched an inquiry into allegations that Hasina, her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy, her sister Rehana, niece Tulip, and other family members embezzled Tk80,000 crore from different development projects in Bangladesh initiated during the Awami League regime.
On 13 January, Tulip and her family members were sued by ACC for allegedly acquiring government plots in the Purbachal New Town Project from Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk) by abusing power.
On 15 January, ACC launched another investigation into Tulip, her family members and others after allegations of their involvement in corruption, abuse of power, illegal acquisition of government land, money laundering, and the accumulation of illicit assets both in Bangladesh and abroad.
On 10 February, ACC requested information from 10-12 countries to probe the money laundering allegations against Tulip and other members of the Sheikh family.
On 15 April, ACC filed a case against her for allegedly accepting a flat in Dhaka's Gulshan area without payment.
On 15 May, ACC Chairman Md Abdul Momen said they will seek Interpol's assistance to bring Tulip to Bangladesh if the anti-graft agency fails to get her using regular methods.
The 42-year-old UK politician, who remained a Labour MP since 2015, resigned from her City Minister post on 14 January following an ethics review into allegations around her use and receipt of properties linked to the ousted Hasina regime in Bangladesh.
