ACC flags ’false declarations’ in Tulip’s tax records

The Anti-Corruption Commission has found what it describes as “inconsistencies and false information” in the income tax documents of British MP Tulip Siddiq, seized in Bangladesh.

The documents span 13 years, covering tax returns submitted from the 2006–07 to the 2018–19 assessment years.

Tulip, niece of ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina, has not filed any returns in Bangladesh since then, according to the ACC findings.

The seized documents show her name written in several formats—“Rizwana Siddiq”, “Rizwana Siddiq Tulip”, and “Tulip Rizwana Siddiq”.

The signatures also vary, with handwriting appearing to differ between documents. Some signatures also include inconsistent spellings of the names, the national anti-graft agency said.

In official UK records, her name appears as “Tulip Siddiq”. The signature on British government documents does not match any of the signatures found in the Bangladeshi tax files.

The documents, however, do correctly list her father’s name as Shafiq Ahmed Siddique, her mother’s name as Sheikh Rehana, and her date of birth as Sept 16, 1982.

The photo used in the tax file also matches Tulip’s.

ACC Director General Md Akhtar Hossain said: “The investigation into Rizwana Siddiq is ongoing. As part of the process, the investigating officer may seize any documents deemed relevant to the case.

“In this context, her tax files have been seized. The investigating officer will analyse the documents and prepare a report, which will be submitted for commission approval before being forwarded to court for trial.” -BDN24