(MENAFN) Labour MP and former minister Tulip Siddiq has been sentenced to two years in prison in Bangladesh following a trial in her absence, alongside 16 others, over allegations of corruption.

Siddiq was found guilty of allegedly using her influence over her aunt, Bangladesh’s ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina, to secure a plot of land for her family near Dhaka, claims she strongly denies. Based in London, Siddiq is unlikely to serve the sentence.

Court documents state that Siddiq "forced and influenced her aunt and the former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina using her special power to secure [a plot of land] for her mother Rehana Siddiq, sister Azmina Siddiq and brother Radwan Siddiq." A Bangladeshi prosecutor previously noted that Siddiq was tried as a Bangladeshi citizen, citing her Bangladeshi passport, ID, and tax number. Siddiq’s lawyers have contested her citizenship, arguing that she has "never had" an ID card or voter ID and "has not held a passport since she was a child."

Judge Rabiul Alam handed down the two-year prison sentence along with a fine of 100,000 Bangladeshi Taka ($821; £620), adding that failure to pay would increase the sentence by six months.

Siddiq has maintained that the allegations are unfounded, stating, "I have been clear from the outset that I have done nothing wrong and will respond to any credible evidence that is presented to me. Continuing to smear my name to score political points is both baseless and damaging."

She had previously criticized the prosecution for "peddling false and vexatious allegations that have been briefed to the media but never formally put to me by investigators."

Concerns have been raised by a group of senior lawyers about the fairness of the trial, highlighting that Siddiq lacked proper legal representation. Their letter argued, "Such a process is artificial and a contrived and unfair way of pursuing a prosecution."

The verdict follows closely on the heels of a separate trial in which Hasina was sentenced to death in absentia over a crackdown that resulted in an estimated 1,400 deaths. Siddiq continues to face additional charges in Bangladesh, including two ongoing trials related to the current case and an investigation over the alleged transfer of a flat in Dhaka to her sister.

Siddiq and her family have also been scrutinized in connection with allegations of embezzlement involving a £3.9 billion ($4.91 billion) Russian-funded nuclear deal in 2013. She has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, with authorities citing claims from a political opponent of Hasina.

Officials have estimated that approximately $234 billion (£174 billion) was misappropriated during Hasina’s tenure.

Before Siddiq resigned from her UK government role, an ethics adviser concluded that no evidence of wrongdoing had been found, though he described it as "regrettable" that she had not been more aware of potential reputational risks linked to her ties to Hasina. Siddiq resigned to avoid being a "distraction" for the government.

The UK does not have an extradition treaty with Bangladesh, and Siddiq was not compelled to return for the trial despite an arrest warrant being issued.

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