Dhaka: The Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) today submitted a charge-sheet against British lawmaker Tulip Siddiq on allegations of unlawfully acquiring a flat from a private real estate company in Gulshan-2.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Director General of the ACC, Md. Akhter Hossain, disclosed during a regular briefing that Tulip Siddiq allegedly received the flat from Eastern Housing Limited (EHL) in exchange for undue benefits. The charge-sheet also includes former assistant legal adviser of Rajdhani Unnayan Katripokhha (RAJUK), Sardar Mosharraf Hossain, as an accused.
The investigation initially involved another accused, Shah Khasruzzaman, who managed to secure a High Court order in July to stay the investigation against him for three months. The ACC’s subsequent appeal to the Supreme Court’s Chamber Judge to vacate the stay resulted in a ‘no order’ ruling. Consequently, finding no alternative over the past five months, the ACC excluded Khasruzzaman from the case, moving forward with charges against Siddiq and Mosharraf Hossain.
The ACC’s investigation uncovered a letter from Eastern Housing Limited indicating that Tulip Rizwana Siddiq received the flat at no cost. Her name appeared in the note sheet of flat owners sent to Rajuk, and records from the Dhaka North City Corporation indicated that the flat was under her possession since 2001 when Sheikh Hasina held power, with the flat being registered in her name the following year.
Further findings revealed that Siddiq concealed ownership information by falsifying advance payments to the developer over several years. The ACC official highlighted that the Heba deed presented by Siddiq, purportedly shared with her sister, was false. City corporation files confirmed the flat remains under her name, and she continues to pay taxes for it.
Akhter Hossain concluded that the evidence clearly demonstrated an attempt by Tulip Siddiq to conceal the ownership of the flat.