Sir Keir Starmer, the leader of the UK Labour Party, has turned down a request to meet with Muhammad Yunus, the interim leader of Bangladesh, during Yunus’s visit to London. Muhammad Yunus, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate and the head of Bangladesh’s interim government, has been campaigning for international assistance in recovering funds he claims were siphoned off by the recently deposed government of Sheikh Hasina. He emphasized that the United Kingdom has both a “moral” and “legal” responsibility to help Bangladesh trace these misappropriated funds, a significant portion of which is believed to be held in the UK. Despite his appeal, no meeting has been scheduled between him and Starmer.
Although Yunus has not spoken directly with Starmer, he expressed optimism that the Labour Party leader would support Bangladesh’s pursuit of justice. He referred to the embezzled assets as “stolen money” taken under the leadership of Sheikh Hasina. While acknowledging that the UK government has already been cooperating in the effort to track down the funds, Yunus insisted that a more “enthusiastic support” was necessary.
The broader issue of alleged corruption during Sheikh Hasina’s regime has also had repercussions in British politics, particularly involving Labour MP Tulip Siddiq. Siddiq, who is both a close political ally of Keir Starmer and the niece of Sheikh Hasina, was compelled to resign from her role as the UK’s anti-corruption minister earlier this year. This followed allegations that she had received backing from individuals connected to the Awami League. Siddiq has denied all accusations but stepped down amid the controversy. Yunus has made it clear that he has no plans to meet Siddiq, stating that the matter is “a legal issue, not personal.”
