Bangladesh is suffering a nationwide Internet shutdown as students armed with sticks and hurling stones clash with police in protests against the government that reports said have left at least 25 people dead.

Network data showed an Internet blackout began July 18, monitoring service Netblocks said on X. Student protesters angered by the government’s job quota policy attempted to shut down transport networks and businesses after authorities closed all universities. A state television broadcaster was set ablaze, local media reported.

The Associated Press said 25 people have been killed so far. The government hasn’t commented on the outages.

Students’ frustrations have centered on a government policy that includes a 30% allocation for family members of veterans from the 1971 war of independence from Pakistan, which critics say has been abused.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has sought to reassure the students, telling them to have faith in the courts as a case against the quota system is being deliberated. But she has also vowed to come down hard on those responsible for violence, saying in a televised address on Wednesday that a judicial committee will investigate the turmoil.

Protesters say the quota system has excluded new job seekers in favour of supporters of Hasina, whose party led the movement to separate from Pakistan. They want the system to be replaced with a merit-based one.

Government jobs are highly sought after in Bangladesh and have taken on greater importance as the economy struggles to rebound after the pandemic and years of strong growth. The largely student-driven protests began last month but turned violent earlier this week and now the Bangladesh’s main opposition party is joining in on the demonstrations.

 - Bloomberg