Ongoing violent protests in Bangladesh result in rising death tolls. Dramatic scenes unfolded on Thursday.
At Canadian University in the capital Dhaka, 60 police officers who were stranded on the roof of a building on the university campus were rescued by helicopter during clashes on campus, according to the authorities.
Later in the day, reports emerged that demonstrators had set fire to the reception building of the TV company BTV's headquarters during clashes with police.
Internet shut down
The authorities have restricted communication in the country, and on Thursday evening, access to the internet was shut down in almost the entire country.
In total, at least 32 people have been killed in the recent unrest, reports the news agency AFP, which has compiled data from several hospitals.
At one of the hospitals in the capital Dhaka, four people were confirmed dead on Thursday.
They all have injuries from rubber bullets, says hospital representative Mahfuz Ara Begum to AFP.
During the week, hundreds of people have been injured in clashes between demonstrating students, police, and government-supporting counter-demonstrators, in addition to the dead.
"Murder and destruction"
On Wednesday, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina promised that those responsible for the deadly violence would be punished, regardless of political affiliation.
But leading voices within the protest movement dismiss her statement as "dishonest".
It does not reflect the murder and destruction caused by her party activists, says protest leader Asif Mahmud to AFP.
Students have been protesting for several weeks against a quota system for jobs in the public sector. The system favors, according to the demonstrators, groups allied with 76-year-old Hasina, who has ruled the country since 2009 and won a new term in January after a disputed election process boycotted by the opposition.
