Tulip Siddiq Bangladesh demands bank details of UK anti-corruption minister

Anti-money laundering officials in Bangladesh have demanded the bank account details of Tulip Siddiq, the UK anti-corruption minister, in the latest escalation of the inquiries into her family's financial interests.

- Kiran Stacey, David Bergman

The Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU), which investigates money laundering and suspicious transactions, wrote to the country's main banks yesterday asking them to provide account details for Siddiq and seven of her family members.

Officials also asked for the account details of Siddiq's aunt, Sheikh Hasina, who was deposed as Bangladesh's prime minister last year after widespread protests against her rule.

Siddiq's mother, her sister and her brother were also named in the request, which has been seen by the Guardian.

Bangladesh's anti-corruption commission has begun an investigation into whether Siddiq, a close ally of Keir Starmer, the UK prime minister, helped embezzle billions of pounds as part of a deal for a Russian-funded nuclear power plant.

Siddiq was pictured alongside her aunt and the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, but has denied allegations that she helped broker a deal with Moscow to build the project.

Neither the BFIU nor a spokesperson for Siddiq immediately responded to a request to comment.