A murder investigation has been launched into the death of former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who killed a man during communal unrest last month.

Six other top figures from the previous government are also under investigation over weeks of deadly rioting in the capital Dhaka.

Mamun Mia, a lawyer who filed the case on behalf of a private citizen, said a Dhaka court ordered the police to accept a “murder case against the accused”.

This is the first step in a criminal investigation under Bangladeshi law.

Ms Hasina resigned from office and left the country earlier this month, fleeing to New Delhi in India after political unrest destabilised the government.

More than 400 people have died in weeks of student demonstrations against Ms. Hasina, many of them shot dead by police on her orders.

Businessman Amir Hamza filed a murder charge in July after a local grocery vendor, Abu Saeed, was shot in the head as he crossed the street.

According to BBC Bangla, he testified in court that on July 19, students were organizing a peaceful protest and the police fired into the crowd without reason.

Mr Hamza said he was not related to Mr Saeed but had approached the court because Saeed’s family did not have the financial means to pursue the case.

“I am the first ordinary citizen who has shown courage to take legal action against Sheikh Hasina for her crimes. I will make sure that this case comes to an end,” he told Reuters.

Judge Rajesh Chowdhury ordered the police to launch an investigation into the case, which is the first against Ms Hasina since the protests began.

Among those under investigation is former Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader.

Hasina’s government, which has been in power for 15 years, has been accused of widespread human rights abuses and beset by allegations of rampant corruption.

The latest student protests began in early July, initially as peaceful student demands for an end to civil service quotas. They soon morphed into a broader movement aimed at overthrowing the government.

Ms Hasina called on police to deal decisively with the protesters, calling them “not students but terrorists whose aim is to destabilise the country”.

The recently formed new government, headed by Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus, includes many protesters.

Hasina’s son Sajeeb Wazed Joy said Ms Hasina would return to the country once elections are announced.