New violence kills scores in Bangladesh, students seek Hasina's resignation

At least 93 people have been killed while hundreds of others injured across Bangladesh as students took to the streets demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, local media reports.

The country's leading Bengali-language Prothom Alo daily reported on Sunday that at least 93 people were killed in more than 15 districts as governing party armed groups swooped on protesters and opened fire; the report added.

Earlier it was reported that at least 48 people were killed and many others injured in the clashes.

Authorities on Sunday declared a three-day public holiday as people were killed in clashes between protesters on one side and police and governing Awami League party supporters on the other side.

Meanwhile, at least 42 were rushed to Chattogram Medical College Hospital with bullet wounds while at least 20 injured people took treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital, it said.

In this emerging situation, the government ordered a shutoff of mobile internet, with Facebook and WhatsApp blocked again, the newspaper also said.

Earlier, the government had resumed mobile services after 10 days of blackout on July 28.

Meanwhile, the government tightened the ongoing military curfew and extended it for an indefinite period amid the violent situation, according to a Home Ministry notification on Sunday.

Quota system

The protests began last month as students demanded an end to a quota system that reserved 30 percent of government jobs for the families of veterans who fought in Bangladesh's war of independence against Pakistan in 1971.

However, the protests escalated into violence that left more than 200 dead. Demonstrators blame the violence on the government's use of excessive force.

In response, authorities imposed a curfew on July 20 amid the first round of the student protest.

Bangladesh officials closed schools and universities across the country, blocked internet access and imposed a shoot-on-sight curfew.

At least 11,000 people have been arrested in recent weeks.

Protesters called for "non-cooperation", urging people not to pay taxes and utility bills and not show up for work on Sunday, a working day in Bangladesh.

Offices, banks and factories opened, but commuters in Dhaka and other cities faced challenges getting to work.

As violence crested, the country's Supreme Court scaled back the quota system to five percent of jobs, with three percent for relatives of veterans.

However, protests have continued and demand accountability for violence from earlier protests.