Ousted Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's son and adviser on Tuesday described allegations of corruption involving the family in the 2015 awarding of a $12.65 billion nuclear power contract as "completely bogus" and a "smear campaign".

Sheikh Hasina's son, Sajeeb Wazed, who spoke on behalf of the family, said they were targets of a political witch hunt in Bangladesh.

Bangladesh has sent a formal request to India to extradite ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. She fled to New Delhi in August amid the student-led protests that ended her 15 years in power.

There was no immediate response to the allegations from Hasina, who has been living in India since she stepped down and fled from Dhaka in August.

Bangladesh's anti-corruption authority has begun investigating former PM Sheikh Hasina and relatives over a USD 5 billion misappropriation at the Rooppur nuclear power plant. Involving Russian and Indian collaboration,

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) investigation extends to Hasina's son, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, and her niece Tulip Siddiq, who is currently a Treasury Minister in the United Kingdom.

Indian companies are participating in constructing the Rooppur nuclear power plant, which is being built by Rosatom, Russia's state-run corporation in Bangladesh.