Over 1,000 died in Bangladesh protests that forced Hasina to resign

The violence that erupted in Bangladesh during last month's anti-government protests killed more than 1,000 people, the interim Health Ministry chief has said, making it the bloodiest period in the country's history since its 1971 independence.

The violence erupted during a student-led movement against public sector job quotas, which later intensified into an uprising against Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who resigned and fled to India on August 5 moments before hundreds of protesters stormed her residence.

"Over 1,000 people have been killed and over 400 students have lost their eyesight," a statement from the Health Ministry said on Thursday, quoting its chief Nurjahan Begum.

An interim government led by Nobel prize-winning economist Muhammad Yunus replaced Hasina's administration, quelling the violence that had flared for weeks before her departure, as security forces cracked down on protests, and continued for some days after she fled.

"Many have become blind in one eye, many have lost sight in both eyes... many people have leg injuries and many of them had to get their legs amputated," the statement said.

The ministry did not mention in its statement how it assessed the death toll, but a home ministry official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said he believed it was based on hospital records and information from the local administration.