Bangladeshi soldiers patrolled deserted streets of the capital Dhaka on Saturday during a curfew aimed at quelling deadly student-led protests against government job quotas that have left at least 105 people dead this week.
The suspension of internet and text messaging services has been in effect since Thursday, cutting Bangladesh off from the world as police crack down on protests that have continued despite a ban on public gatherings.
International phone calls were mostly unsuccessful, while the websites of Bangladesh-based media outlets were not updated and their social media accounts remained inactive.
In addition to the deaths, the clashes have left thousands injured, according to data from hospitals in Bangladesh. Dhaka University Hospital received 27 dead bodies between 5pm and 7pm on Friday.
For five days, police have been firing tear gas and stun grenades to disperse protesters, who have clashed with security forces, thrown bricks and set vehicles on fire.
The protests – the largest since Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was re-elected for a fourth consecutive term this year – have also been fuelled by high unemployment among young people, who make up nearly a fifth of the South Asian country’s 170 million people.
As the death toll mounted and police were unable to contain the protests, Hasina’s government imposed a nationwide curfew and deployed the military.
The curfew was relaxed for two hours from noon on Saturday to allow people to shop and carry out other tasks, television channels reported.
The situation will last until 10am on Sunday, when the government will assess the situation and decide on a course of action, the reports added.
The identity cards of people venturing onto the streets were inspected by army personnel at various checkpoints, television footage showed.
The nationwide unrest erupted over student anger over controversial quotas for government jobs, including 30 percent for families of those who fought for Pakistan’s independence.
Hasina’s government scrapped the quota system in 2018, but a court reinstated it last month.
The state appealed the reinstatement and the Supreme Court suspended it for a month, pending a hearing on August 7.
In the central Dhaka district of Narsingdi, protesters stormed a prison on Friday and freed more than 850 inmates before setting the facility on fire, television channels reported, citing police. Arson attacks were also reported on Saturday.
Hasina has abandoned plans to leave for visits to Spain and Brazil on Sunday because of the protests, AFP news agency reported, citing her press secretary.
Many opposition party leaders, activists and student protesters have been arrested, said Tarique Rahman, exiled interim president of the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party.
Police arrested Nahid Islam, one of the main coordinators of the student unrest, at 2 a.m. Saturday, protesters said in a text message.
Reuters could not independently confirm the arrests.
International human rights groups have criticized the internet shutdown and the actions of security forces. The European Union has expressed deep concern about the violence and loss of life.