DHAKA, April 11: Police in Bangladesh have brought charges against 56 political leaders, including former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, for killing several people during violence in Dhaka last year, officials said on Wednesday.

Jamaat-i-Islami chief Matiur Rahman Nizami and his nine party leaders were among those charged with killing a number of activists during street campaigns on Oct 28.

Senior leaders of Hasina's 14-party alliance had also been charged with the same offence because open rioting by the two groups had resulted in the deaths of 10 people, police said.

“Today we have formally submitted the charges to the court of the chief metropolitan magistrate,” said an investigating police officer.

No further details were immediately available.

Hasina is expected to cut short a visit to the United States to return home next week so she can be available for an investigation into charges filed this week by a businessman that she had extorted more than $400,000 while in power.

Her arch-rival Begum Khaleda Zia, meanwhile, who ended a five-year term as prime minister in October, was in virtual confinement at her Dhaka home.

—Reuters