A British Labour MP and niece of deposed Bangladeshi premier Sheikh Hasina, Tulip Rizwana Siddiq, still holds a Bangladeshi national identity card despite repeatedly claiming that she is only a British citizen. An investigation by Prothom Alo and the British daily The Times also reveals that she is a registered voter in Bangladesh and was issued a Bangladeshi passport.
Prothom Alo collaborated with The Times on the documents related to Tulip’s Bangladeshi citizenship, verifying their authenticity with the relevant government offices in Bangladesh.
The documents show that Tulip obtained her NID in 2011. She used the address of her aunt, Bangladesh’s deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s residence, Sudha Sadan on Road 5 in Dhanmondi, Dhaka.
Her NID states her profession as “private job” and her birthplace as Dhaka. The NID also carries a tag, “migrated” or “immigrant.” The NID server under the EC also contains the number of her Bangladeshi passport.
On August 12, a spokesperson of Tulip’s legal advisory firm, Stephenson Harwood, told the Financial Times, “Tulip has never obtained a Bangladeshi national identity card or voter ID and has not held a Bangladeshi passport since childhood.”
Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League regime was overthrown in a mass uprising on August 5, 2024. In February this year, the EC “locked” the NIDs of ten family members of Sheikh Hasina, including that of Tulip’s.
Ms Siddiq obtained her first Bangladeshi passport at the age of 19.
According to the information from the Bangladesh Passport Office, a Bangladeshi passport was issued in Tulip’s name in September 2001, when she was 19 years old. The Bangladesh High Commission issued the passport in London.
After the expiration of that passport, Tulip applied for her next passport in 2011 at the Agargaon Passport Office in Dhaka. Subsequently, her second passport was issued.
According to the passport office database, her nationality is listed as Bangladeshi, and her place of birth is London.
Tulip’s passport mentions Major General (Retd.) Tariq Ahmed Siddiq as her emergency contact section. He is Tulip’s uncle and a former defense adviser to Sheikh Hasina.
When Tulip’s second passport was issued in 2011, her aunt Sheikh Hasina was the prime minister of Bangladesh. This passport expired on January 2, 2016.
Tulip Siddiq produced evidence of renouncing her Bangladeshi citizenship.
In Bangladesh, anyone who holds a passport and a national identity card is considered a Bangladeshi citizen. Although Tulip was born in the UK, both of her parents were born in Bangladesh. Therefore, she can hold both British and Bangladeshi citizenship, as both countries allow dual nationality, the report said.
In some countries, including the United States, one must renounce their original citizenship before taking the oath to become a citizen. However, in the UK, taking the oath does not require renouncing one’s previous citizenship. According to Bangladeshi law, a person remains a citizen of Bangladesh until they formally renounce their allegiance to the country. Anyone wishing to relinquish Bangladeshi citizenship must apply to the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Supreme Court lawyer Shahdeen Malik told Prothom Alo that, under the agreement between the UK and Bangladesh, any individual may hold citizenship in both countries. Legally, there is no issue with this. “However, since she is denying this, it appears that Tulip Siddiq has relied on a false claim.”
Rooppur nuclear plant corruption case
Tulip Siddiq has been accused of aiding her aunt, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, in brokering a corrupt 2013 deal with Russia for the $12.65 billion Rooppur nuclear power plant, and of embezzling $5 billion from the project.
The Rooppur plant is Bangladesh’s first nuclear facility and one of the country’s largest infrastructure projects. However, the 2013 nuclear energy cooperation was part of a broader agreement that included a $1 billion arms deal with Russia – Bangladesh’s largest defence agreement since its independence in 1971.
The deal covered armoured vehicles, infantry weapons, air defence systems, and Mi-17 transport helicopters. Bangladesh declined to acquire eight advanced MiG-29 fighter jets due to their $500 million price tag. Notably, Hasina had previously faced prosecution over bribery in a 2009 defence deal but was acquitted following her re-election.
This offset agreement reflects a classic arms-for-energy model, often applied in the global arms trade. Gazprom – Russia’s largest natural gas producer – secured rights to drill ten natural gas wells in Bangladesh as part of the broader arrangement. The recent discovery of offshore gas reserves was seen as a guarantee of repayment for the arms loan, strengthening Russian confidence in the deal.
Tulip Siddiq’s Bangladeshi Identity:
- Name: Tulip Rezwana Siddiq
- National ID Issue Date: 2011
- Date of birth: 16 September 1982
- Address: House Number 54, Street Number 5, Dhanmondi, Dhaka
- Voting Area: Street Number 3-5, Dhanmondi
- Passport Issue Date: 2011
- Expiry Date: 02 January 2016
- Father: Dr Safique Ahmed Siddiq
- Mother: Rehana Siddiq
- Nationality: Bangladeshi
- Birthplace: London
- Passport Type: Standard
- Emergency Contact: Major General (Retired) Tarique Ahmed Siddiq
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