Students continue to protest in Bangladesh over civil service jobs

Violence continued in the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka on Friday as several hundred student demonstrators blocked roads and clashed with police a day after more than 20 people were reportedly killed during nationwide violent protests.

Elsewhere, most of Dhaka's streets were deserted. The students are demanding reforms in the government job quota system.

The Prothom Alo newspaper reported at least 27 people were killed on Thursday. The protesters set fire to many public establishments and businesses during the protests.

No official confirmation on the death figure was available.

The demonstrations, which have been ongoing since the beginning of July, are directed against the possible reintroduction of an old quota system. It stipulates that more than half of public sector jobs be reserved for certain groups - such as the descendants of soldiers who fought for the country's independence in 1971, women and people from poor neighbourhoods.

Thousands of young people are calling for a more merit-based system. Unemployment is high in a country with more than 170 million inhabitants. On Thursday, the government signalled its willingness to reform the system and hold talks.

According to observers, the quota system favours supporters of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her Awami League. The government, in turn, accuses a section of the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) of fuelling the violence during the protests.

On Friday afternoon, the police arrested Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, a senior BNP leader.