Death toll in Bangladesh rises. At least 123 people have been killed in violent protests against the government. Thousands of demonstrators defied the curfew imposed on Saturday.
Soldiers patrolled the streets in cities in Bangladesh on Saturday to quell the unrest that began with student protests against the country's government and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
The protests have been going on for weeks and have escalated into violent clashes between police and demonstrators, claiming at least 123 lives, according to AFP.
A curfew was imposed at midnight and the military was deployed after the police failed to put an end to the unrest.
Defying the curfew
Initially on Saturday, the streets were almost empty in the capital Dhaka, but later in the day, thousands of demonstrators took to the streets and were met by police who fired at the crowds.
It's anarchy in the country. They're shooting people indiscriminately, says demonstrator Nazrul Islam.
The police claim that demonstrators during the violence in the past week vandalized and set fire to several buildings, including a TV station and several government and police buildings. At least 300 police officers have been injured in clashes with demonstrators, according to police spokesperson Faruk Hossain.
Demanding reforms
The demonstrators are protesting against a quota system for jobs in the public sector that favors groups allied with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. She has ruled the country since 2009 and won a new term in January after a disputed election process that was boycotted by the opposition.
Representatives of the government and students met on Friday in an attempt to find a solution. The students are demanding, among other things, that the criticized quota system be reformed. The country's Justice Minister Anisul Huq said on Friday that the government was willing to discuss their demands.
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), which is the largest opposition party, supports the protests. However, the BNP says in a statement that their supporters are not responsible for the violence and denies allegations that they are using the student protests for political purposes.
