Britain’s anti-corruption minister Tulip Siddiq, who’s the niece of Bangladesh’s deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina, may be forced to resign after it was revealed that she acquired a London apartment without paying for it.

Siddiq, who has lived in various properties allegedly linked to her deposed aunt, was scheduled to travel to China as part of an official delegation. She has now been asked to stay behind in Britain to face an inquiry regarding the property and others linked to her aunt.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has continued to defend Siddiq, but calls for her resignation are growing louder.

The scrutiny over Siddiq’s property dealings intensified in recent weeks, following the collapse of the Hasina government.

In 2004, Siddiq became the owner of a flat that had been purchased three years earlier by Abdul Motalif, a developer with links to members of Hasina's party. Motalif paid £195,000 for the two-bedroom flat in London’s King's Cross district in 2001. The flat is currently valued at £700,000, according to The Times, London.

Bangladesh’s interim government has accused top officials of Hasina’s government of siphoning funds from the banking system to buy properties abroad. Hasina and others have denied the allegations.

Siddiq, who serves as economics secretary in the Treasury and is charged with investigating financial market irregularities among other responsibilities, was due to travel to China with Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves. Instead, she will remain in London while Sir Laurie Magnus, the prime minister’s independent adviser on ministerial standards – Britain’s so-called “ethics tsar” – investigates whether she has violated the "ministerial code”.

“It is high time for Tulip Siddiq to explain the source of her wealth, and whether any of it comes from the proceeds of her aunt’s alleged corrupt dealings,” said shadow Conservative home secretary Chris Philip.

Before moving into her King’s Cross flat, Siddiq had lived in a house in Hampstead that was transferred to her sister, a prominent lawyer, by a Bangladeshi lawyer. Currently she is renting a £2.1-million property belonging to Abdul Karim, an executive member of the Awami League’s UK wing for which a spokesperson for the minister says she is paying “market rates.”.

Siddiq is the MP for Hampstead and Highgate, a north London constituency.

Bangladesh’s interim government has accused top officials of Hasina’s government of siphoning funds from the banking system to buy properties abroad. Hasina and others have denied the allegations.

The Daily Mail tabloid stirred controversy by reporting that Siddiq had once claimed her apartment was bought by her parents and gifted to her.

A spokesperson for Siddiq denied the allegations and told The Times, "Any suggestion that Tulip Siddiq’s ownership of this property, or any other property, is linked to support for the Awami League would be categorically wrong."

“I am clear that I have done nothing wrong. However, to avoid any doubts, I would like an independent review of these matters,” Siddiq said, requesting the adviser on ministerial standards to examine her conduct.

She added, "In recent weeks, I have been the subject of media reports, many of them inaccurate, concerning my financial affairs and my family's links with the government of Bangladesh."

Despite the mounting pressure, Starmer expressed confidence in Siddiq, issuing a statement on Monday defending her.

He said, "Tulip Siddiq has acted entirely properly by referring herself to the independent adviser, as she’s now done, and that’s why we brought in the new code."

"It’s to allow ministers to ask the adviser to establish the facts. And yes, I’ve got confidence in her, and that’s the process that will now be happening," Starmer added.

However, doubts are already emerging about how much longer he can continue supporting her.

Siddiq, whose responsibilities include “countering economic crime, money laundering and illicit finance” is the daughter of Sheikh Rehana, the younger sister of Hasina, and the daughter of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Bangladesh's first prime minister.

Siddiq was born in the UK after her mother sought political asylum following the assassination of Sheikh Mujib.

In addition, Siddiq's brother and sister have been accused of belonging to a think-tank that allegedly circulated false news about the Awami League’s rivals in Bangladesh.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh has formally requested the extradition of Hasina from India. Hasina, a staunch Indian ally, fled here in August following violent student-led protests and her subsequent ousting after being in power for two decades.

The request is part of ongoing efforts by Bangladesh to hold former officials accountable for alleged corruption and crimes tied to the country's political turmoil. Bangladesh’s new administration accuses Hasina of being an autocratic leader and of “crimes against humanity.”

India has acknowledged receiving Bangladesh's request for Hasina’s extradition but hasn’t commented further. The 2013 extradition treaty between Bangladesh and India does not lay out a time-frame for responses. Given the political nature of the request and what Indian sources say are “incomplete formalities,” New Delhi is not expected to respond quickly.