DHAKA

Bangladesh was experiencing a "near-total" internet shutdown on Thursday night, outage monitor Netblocks said, as student protests demanding quota system reform escalated and led to the deaths of at least 26 people.

"Live network data show Bangladesh is now in the midst of a near-total internet shutdown," the group said in a post on X.

The new measure follows earlier efforts to throttle social media and restrict mobile data services, it added.

Mobile as well as broadband internet has been shut down, a local resident from Dhaka, wishing not to be named, told Anadolu. The use of social media has also been curtailed, he added.

At least 20 people were killed Thursday as police opened fire on students protesting quota reforms in Dhaka and other parts of the country, taking the death toll to at least 26, according to a tally from local sources, with numbers likely to rise. The deaths were reported in the capital Dhaka, Chittagong, and other districts.

Roads turned into battlefields after students from schools, colleges and public and private universities blocked highways in Dhaka and other districts.

State-run Bangladesh Television (BTV) said its building was set on fire late Thursday.

In a Facebook post, it said the fire was spreading rapidly and requested a quick response from the fire service as many were trapped inside the building.

Thousands of students have been demonstrating since July 1 after a court reinstated quotas for government jobs, which had been abolished in 2018.

The protesters are demanding changes to the system, which reserves 56% of public jobs for certain groups.

The Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) said 229 paramilitary platoons were deployed across the country, including Dhaka.

The government said it was ready to talk about reforming the quota system amid escalating violence but students rejected the proposal.

One of the coordinators of the student movement, Md Nahid Islam, said law enforcement forces and ruling party supporters had carried out attacks on peaceful protesters

“Now in the name of dialogue, a new farce is being made,” he said on social media, adding that the government failed to set conditions for negotiations.

He expressed apprehension that coordinators of the movement may be arrested or become victims of forced disappearance by nightfall.

Amnesty International said witness testimonies, video and photographic evidence analyzed and authenticated by the rights group and its Crisis Evidence Lab confirm the use of unlawful force by police against student protesters.

State Minister for Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology Zunaid Ahmed Palak earlier told reporters that mobile internet was shut temporarily to stop “disinformation” on social media.

*Riyaz ul Khaliq contributed to this report from Istanbul