Bangladesh govt orders 'shoot-on-sight' to quell student protests as death toll reaches 133

The Sheikh Hasina government Friday imposed a countrywide curfew and deployed troops as at least 133 deaths have been reported so far in violent protests and clashes over the government job quota system.

Meanwhile, Hasina was scheduled to leave the country on Sunday for a planned diplomatic tour but abandoned her plans amid protests.

The curfew was lifted briefly on Saturday afternoon to allow people to run essential errands. People have been ordered to remain at home and all gatherings and demonstrations have been banned.

Bangladesh's government has shut down internet services nationwide since Thursday.

Government websites remain offline and major newspapers including the Dhaka Tribune and Daily Star have been unable to update their social media platforms.

The Supreme Court is set to meet later on Sunday to issue a verdict on whether to abolish the contentious job quotas.

Nearly 1,000 Indian students have returned to India from Bangladesh through various land transit points or by flight. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said the Foreign Ministry is fully focused on ensuring safety and well-being of the Indians in Bangladesh.

The US State Department has warned Americans not to travel to Bangladesh and said it would begin removing some diplomats and their families from the country roiled by deadly civil unrest.

Violence escalated in Bangladesh's capital Dhaka and other places over protests by students, demanding reforms to the quota system for government jobs.

The protesters are demanding an end to a quota system that reserves up to 30 percent of government jobs for relatives of veterans who fought in Bangladesh's war of independence in 1971 against Pakistan.

The quotas have caused anger among students who face high youth unemployment rates, with nearly 32 million young Bangladeshis not in work or education out of a total population of 170 million people.