DHAKA: The trial of Egypt’s former Islamist president Mohammed Mursi over his escape from prison in 2011 has begun, state media say.

He was taken to the court in Cairo by helicopter from a prison in Alexandria, Mena news agency reports, says the BBC.

Mursi, Egypt’s first freely-elected president, was deposed by the military in July 2013 after mass protests against his rule.

He is now facing four separate criminal trials on various charges.

Also on Tuesday, the interior ministry said that a ministry official, named in local media as Gen Mohammed Saeed, was shot dead on his way to work.

The killing comes amid a string of militant attacks on security services in recent days, and hours after Egypt’s top military body gave its backing for army chief Field Marshal Abdul Fattah al-Sisi to run for president.

BDST: 1633 HRS, JAN 28, 2014