Streets in Dhaka, Bangladesh, were calm on Monday after the Supreme Court decided to remove most government job quotas that had angered students and led to deadly protests.
On Sunday, protesters gave the government 48 hours to meet new demands, including a public apology from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for the violence and the restoration of internet connections that were disrupted during the unrest.
Read more about Bangladesh: Student Protests in Bangladesh Lead to Disruptions and Violence; Communications Disrupted.Student Protests in Bangladesh Lead to Disruptions and Violence; Communications Disrupted.
By Monday, most people were following a curfew in cities that had seen regular demonstrations. These protests began after a high court in June reinstated old quotas that reserved many state jobs for descendants of freedom fighters and other groups.
The violence has resulted in at least 147 deaths, according to hospital reports. A police spokesperson said three policemen were killed and over 1,000 were injured.
Dhaka police have arrested 516 people for their involvement in "destructive attacks," according to spokesperson Faruq Hossain.
The government has extended a public holiday to Tuesday to help restore order. "Normalcy will return within one or two days," Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan told reporters.
Experts say the unrest is due to stagnant job growth in the private sector and high youth unemployment. Government jobs, with their regular pay raises and other benefits, have become more attractive.
Prime Minister Hasina, 76, who started her fourth term this year, has been accused of being authoritarian, violating human rights, and cracking down on free speech and dissent, which her government denies.
The recent protests followed similar violent demonstrations before the January national elections. These protests were led by Hasina's opponents, who accused her of authoritarian rule, and by garment workers demanding better pay amid high inflation.
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