Prosecutors said the conviction was announced in Siddiq’s absence, along with separate sentences given to former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her sister Rehana, who were also tried without being present in court. Hasina received five years, while Rehana was given seven.
Siddiq, who earlier resigned as Britain’s minister for financial services and anti-corruption efforts after questions were raised about her financial links to Hasina, rejected the charges through a written statement, calling the legal process “flawed and farcical”.
Hasina has remained out of Bangladesh since August 2024 after fleeing to India during a violent uprising against her administration. She was sentenced to death last month over the government’s harsh response to mass demonstrations.
Only last week, she was also given a combined 21-year prison term in separate corruption cases, further intensifying political uncertainty.
"The outcome of this kangaroo court is as predictable as it is unjustified," Siddiq said. "I hope this so-called 'verdict' will be treated with the contempt it deserves."
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A spokesperson for her Labour Party said Siddiq did not get access to a fair legal process in the case and had not been informed of the details of the charges against her.
"Anyone facing any charge should always be afforded the right to make legal representations when allegations are made against them. Given that has not happened in this case, we cannot recognise this judgment," the spokesperson said.
Britain does not have an extradition treaty with Bangladesh.
Hasina's Awami League party said the verdict was the latest example of what it says is a politically driven process led by "desperate, unelected men" - a reference to Bangladesh's interim government headed by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus.
LAND MARKED FOR NEW TOWNSHIP
Prosecutors in the latest case said the land in the capital Dhaka, measuring roughly 13,610 square feet (1,264 square metres), was unlawfully allocated through political influence and collusion with senior officials.
They said the three powerful defendants, Siddiq, Hasina and Rehana, abused their authority to secure the plot during Hasina’s tenure as prime minister.
All three were fined 100,000 taka ($820) each, and failure to pay will result in an additional six months in prison, the court said.
The land was supposed to be used for a new township to ease housing and population pressure in Dhaka, the court heard.
Fourteen other people also charged in the case were sentenced to five years in prison.
