New Delhi, Dec 9 (NationPress) Former Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, articulated serious concerns regarding the in absentia trial of her niece, UK MP Tulip Siddiq, stating that it poses significant issues regarding due process and fairness within the nation's judicial framework.

She accused the ruling party of advancing the political agenda of the interim government’s Chief Advisor, Muhammad Yunus, along with his “ragtag coalition of extremists and opportunists”.

In an exclusive interview with IANS, Hasina remarked, “Trials in absentia and the conviction of a British lawmaker bring to light serious doubts about due process and fairness. My family has consistently denied any wrongdoing. I stand firm in my belief that justice should be open, transparent, and aligned with international standards. Yunus is manipulating these prosecutions as a distraction from his own governance failures and to undermine a political party that has been elected nine times since independence.”

“This ruling only serves the political motives of Yunus and his coalition. It certainly does not benefit Bangladesh, especially as it deteriorates our diplomatic ties with the UK, a vital trading and development ally,” she further stated.

Hasina noted that the manner in which these proceedings have been conducted has “eroded confidence in Bangladesh and will alert the international community”.

On December 1, a court in Dhaka sentenced Hasina to five years in prison for irregularities concerning the allocation of plots under the Purbachal New Town project.

Her sister, Sheikh Rehana, received a seven-year sentence, while Tulip Siddiq was given a two-year prison term.

The verdict, delivered without the presence of the defendants and lacking appropriate legal representation, sparked widespread apprehension over judicial integrity.

Following the court's decision, Tulip condemned Yunus, characterizing it as a “miscarriage of justice”.

“I have yet to receive any communication from the Bangladeshi authorities, despite them making damaging allegations against me for over a year. I have attempted to act responsibly. I engaged lawyers in the UK who have repeatedly reached out to Bangladeshi officials, but without any response. I also sought a lawyer in Bangladesh who was threatened and intimidated, leading him to withdraw,” the British MP expressed in a video shared on her social media platform X.

She asserted that Yunus should feel “ashamed of himself” for overseeing what she called a “miscarriage of justice”.

“He is relentlessly pursuing a personal vendetta, aiming to tarnish my reputation, and attempting to drag a democratically elected member of the UK Parliament into Bangladesh's murky political waters,” she added.