Joe McConnell
At least 25 people have been killed in Bangladesh in clashes between police and anti-government protesters demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
The latest wave of tension comes as student leaders have declared a campaign of civil disobedience against the government.
Police used tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse protesters in several parts of Bangladesh. About 200 people were injured.
In the capital, Dhaka, mobile Internet access was suspended, with some providers telling local media they had received orders from the government.
An official from the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) told BBC Bengali that 4G internet service in the Dhaka area has been temporarily disrupted, but broadband services will continue.
Without 4G and 3G, people cannot communicate using the Internet on their mobile devices. The source did not say when Internet services will return to normal.
Bangladeshi media and AFP news agency reported that deaths and injuries occurred across the country, including in the northern districts of Bogra, Pabna and Rangpur.
A curfew has been announced from 6pm local time (1200 GMT) on Sunday. According to local media, the curfew will be in place indefinitely.
Thousands of people gathered in the capital’s main square and violent incidents occurred in other parts of the city.
In some places, supporters of the ruling Awami League party are said to be clashing with anti-government protesters.
“The whole city has turned into a battlefield,” a police officer, who asked not to be named, told AFP news agency. He said a crowd of several thousand protesters had set fire to cars and motorcycles outside a hospital.
Students Against Discrimination, a group behind the anti-government demonstrations, called on the prime minister to resign.
The group announced a nationwide disobedience movement starting Sunday, urging citizens not to pay taxes or utility bills. The students also called for the closure of all factories and public transportation.
The protest, which began last month with demands to abolish quotas for public sector jobs, has now morphed into a broader anti-government movement.
More than 200 people were killed in July’s clashes, many of them shot by police.
Around 10,000 people have reportedly been arrested in a massive crackdown by security forces over the past two weeks. Those arrested include opposition supporters and students.
The Awami League will also be holding marches across the country on Sunday.
The next few days are considered crucial for both sides.
“Sheikh Hasina should not just resign, there should be a trial for the murders, looting and corruption,” Nahid Islam, a leader of the student movement, told thousands of people at a rally in Dhaka on Saturday.
The protests pose a major challenge to Ms Hasina, who was elected to a fourth consecutive term in January’s elections, boycotted by the main opposition.
Last month, students took to the streets to protest a decision to reserve many civil service posts for relatives of veterans of Bangladesh’s war of independence from Pakistan in 1971.
Most of the quota has now been reduced by the government following a government ruling, but students have continued to protest, demanding justice for those killed and injured. They now want Ms Hasina to step down.
Ms Hasina’s supporters have ruled out her resignation.
Ms Hasina had earlier offered an unconditional dialogue with student leaders, saying she wanted to end the violence.
“I want to sit down with the student agitators of the movement and listen to them. I don’t want conflict,” he said.
But the student protesters rejected his offer.
Last month, Ms Hasina called for the military to intervene to restore order after several police stations and government buildings were set on fire during protests.
Bangladeshi Army Chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman held a meeting with junior officers in Dhaka to assess the security situation.
“The Bangladesh Army has always stood by the people and will continue to do so in the interest of the people and for any requirement of the state,” General Zaman said, according to a statement by the Directorate of Public Relations of the Inter Services.
Protests have resumed in several cities and the government is struggling to control a growing wave of anger over the initial response to the demonstrations.
Bangladeshi media say most of those killed in last month’s protests were shot dead by police. Thousands were injured.
The government claims that the police opened fire only in self-defense and to protect state property.
