British MP Tulip Siddiq has resigned from her ministerial position following growing allegations of her involvement in corruption linked to Sheikh Hasina’s regime in Bangladesh. On Tuesday, January 14, Tulip stepped down amid intense criticism and ongoing investigations. The controversy, however, traces back to a photograph taken 12 years ago, which has resurfaced as evidence of her ties to alleged corruption and misuse of power by the Sheikh family.

The photograph, taken in 2013, shows Tulip alongside Sheikh Hasina, her cousin Sajeeb Wazed Joy, and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Tulip has consistently claimed that her connections with the Sheikh family were purely familial and not political. However, the image challenges that narrative, as it depicts her in a close setting with the then-Bangladeshi Prime Minister at a high-profile meeting.

The Guardian recently analyzed the photograph and highlighted its significance. The image, which resurfaced widely in 2015 during Tulip’s campaign as a Labour Party candidate for Hampstead and Kilburn, had already raised concerns within the party. At the time, Tulip dismissed the concerns, explaining that her presence at the meeting was personal, not political, and that she was not part of Hasina’s delegation. However, she acknowledged the optics, stating, “Looking back, I should have considered how this would appear.”

Now, years later, the same photograph is being presented as evidence of Tulip’s involvement in facilitating corrupt activities during Sheikh Hasina’s tenure. Reports allege that Tulip played a mediatory role in embezzling funds from Bangladesh’s Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant project, among other accusations.

The Rooppur project, a collaboration with Russia, reportedly involved embezzlement of $500 million (approximately 59,000 crore Bangladeshi taka). According to a Global Defense Corp report, the project’s implementation agency, Rosatom, facilitated the diversion of these funds through a Malaysian bank. The report claims that Sajeeb Wazed Joy and Tulip Siddiq mediated the transactions, enabling Sheikh Hasina to misappropriate a significant portion of the project’s budget.

The report further states that Tulip, alongside other family members, received 30% of the embezzled amount. Additionally, Tulip is accused of mediating a billion-dollar arms deal with Russia during the 2013 meeting between Sheikh Hasina and Vladimir Putin.

Beyond her alleged involvement in the Rooppur project, Tulip faces other accusations, including collaborating with Sheikh Hasina’s autocratic governance, threatening a pregnant journalist, and facilitating fraudulent activities in land allocation schemes. However, the Rooppur embezzlement claims remain the most prominent, with investigations focusing on her role in the scandal.

As criticism mounts and investigations continue, Tulip’s resignation has brought renewed attention to the broader allegations of corruption and abuse of power within the Sheikh family. The fallout from Sheikh Hasina’s ousting last year has intensified scrutiny of her associates, with Tulip Siddiq now at the center of the controversy.