Bangladesh army enforces curfew as students-led protests spiral

Bangladesh soldiers patrolled the deserted streets of the capital Dhaka on Saturday during a curfew meant to quell deadly students-led protests against government job quotas that have killed at least 105 people this week.

A suspension on internet and text message services has remained in place since Thursday, cutting off Bangladesh from the world as police cracked down on protests that have continued despite a ban on public gatherings.

Overseas telephone calls mostly failed to connect while websites of Bangladesh-based media organizations did not update and their social media handles remained inactive.

In addition to the deaths, the clashes have injured thousands, according to data from hospitals across Bangladesh. The Dhaka Medical College Hospital received 27 dead bodies between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. (1100-1200 GMT) on Friday.

For five days police have fired tear gas and hurled sound grenades to scatter protesters as demonstrators clashed with security personnel, throwing bricks and igniting vehicles.

The demonstrations - the biggest since Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was re-elected for a fourth successive term this year - have also been fueled by high unemployment among young people, who make up nearly a fifth of the South Asian nation's 170 million people.

With the death toll climbing and police unable to contain the protests, Hasina's government imposed the national curfew and deployed the military.

The curfew was eased for two hours from noon on Saturday to allow people to shop for supplies and complete other chores, television channels reported. It will last until 10 a.m. (0400 GMT) on Sunday, when the government will assess the situation and decide the next course of action, the reports added.

Those venturing out on the