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Labour MP Tulip Siddiq has called her anti-corruption trial a “farce” which is “driven by a clear political agenda” as proceedings began on Wednesday in Bangladesh.
In a statement seen by Sky News, Ms Siddiq has said the case was “built on fabricated accusations”.
The Bangladesh authorities allege the Labour MP “exerted pressure and influence” on her aunt, the country’s ousted former prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, to get planning officials to appoint them 7,200sq ft of land.
When Ms Hasina was removed as prime minister last year and replaced by the current government, hundreds of protesters were killed during the uprising.
Ms Siddiq resigned from her Treasury job in January after facing calls to step down over links to her aunt, who is being investigated by Bangladesh’s Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) over charges including crimes against humanity.
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Ms Siddiq previously denied all the allegations against her through lawyers, saying the prosecution is politically motivated.
Bangladesh’s ACC claims the Labour MP received the land in a diplomatic zone through “abuse of power and influence”.
The trial in Dhaka began in the early hours of UK time, with Ms Siddiq on trial alongside her mother and siblings. The family are being tried in absentia as they have not returned to Bangladesh for the proceedings.
The court opened with ACC prosecutors laying out the case against Ms Siddiq.
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In her statement, Ms Siddiq said: “The so-called trial now under way in Dhaka is nothing more than a farce, built on fabricated accusations and driven by a clear political vendetta.
“Over the past year, the allegations against me have repeatedly shifted, yet I have never been contacted…
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