At least 76 people have been killed in Bangladesh amid escalating clashes between police and anti-government protesters.
The violence has intensified as student leaders have launched a campaign of civil disobedience, demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
In Sirajganj district, thirteen police officers were killed when thousands attacked a police station, according to police reports.
The protests, which began last month with demands to eliminate quotas in civil service jobs, have expanded into a broader anti-government movement.
Both police and some ruling party supporters have been seen firing live ammunition at protesters. The police have also used tear gas and rubber bullets.
The death toll since the protests began in July has now exceeded 270.
A nationwide curfew has been in effect since 18:00 local time (12:00 GMT).
On Sunday, Law and Justice Minister Anisul Huq told the BBC’s Newshour that authorities were exercising “restraint.”
“If we had not shown restraint there would have been a bloodbath. I guess our patience has limits,” he added.
In the capital, Dhaka, access to internet on mobile devices has been suspended.
Deaths and injuries have been reported across the country, including the northern districts of Bogra, Pabna and Rangpur.
Thousands of people gathered in a main square in Dhaka and there have been violent incidents in other parts of the city.
“The whole city has turned into a battleground,” a policeman, who asked not to be named, told AFP news agency. He said a crowd of several thousand protesters had set fire to cars and motorcycles outside a hospital.
Asif Mahmud, a leading figure in the nationwide civil disobedience campaign, called on protesters to march on Dhaka on Monday.
“The time has come for the final protest”, he said.
Students Against Discrimination, the group behind the anti-government protests, has called for a tax and utility bill boycott and urged a shutdown of factories and public transport.
In the past two weeks, security forces have detained around 10,000 people in a major crackdown, including opposition supporters and students.
Some former military personnel, including ex-army chief General Karim Bhuiyan, have voiced support for the student movement. Bhuiyan urged the government to withdraw armed forces from the streets and condemned the “egregious killings, torture, disappearances, and mass arrests.”
The coming days are crucial for both sides. The protests present a significant challenge to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who was re-elected for a fourth consecutive term in January elections boycotted by the main opposition.
The protests initially focused on a quota that reserved one third of civil service jobs for relatives of Bangladesh’s 1971 independence war veterans. While most of the quota has been reduced following a government ruling, students continue to demand justice for those killed and injured and are now calling for Hasina’s resignation.
Hasina’s supporters have rejected calls for her resignation. Earlier, Hasina offered unconditional dialogue with the student leaders, expressing a desire to end the violence.
“I want to sit with the agitating students of the movement and listen to them. I want no conflict,” she said.
But the student protesters have rejected her offer.
Ms Hasina called in the military last month to restore order after several police stations and state buildings were set on fire during the protests.
The Bangladeshi army chief, General Waker-Uz-Zaman, held a meeting with junior officers in Dhaka to assess the security situation.
“Bangladesh Army has always stood by the people and will continue to do so for the interest of people and in any need of the state,” Gen Zaman said, according to a release by the Inter Services Public Relation Directorate.
Bangladeshi media says most of those killed in last month’s protests were shot dead by police. Thousands were injured.
The government argues that police opened fire only in self-defence and to protect state properties.
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