According to local newspapers, more than 100 people have been killed in the violence. However, official death statistics are not available.

Bangladesh protest: Mobile internet service was restored in violence-hit Bangladesh on Sunday, 10 days after authorities shut it down to “prevent the spread of fake news on social media” amid deadly nationwide protests over a quota system in government jobs. 100 people killed and thousands injured.

According to reports in Bangladeshi media, mobile internet connectivity was restored at 3:00 pm local time on Sunday, with users of Robi, Grameenphone, Banglalink and other operators in Dhaka saying they could access the internet through their phones at that time.

Addressing a press conference in Dhaka, Minister of State for Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Junaid Ahmed Palak announced that 5GB of free internet will be provided to all users for three days after the connection is restored, the Dhaka Tribune newspaper reported.

Internet services were affected by the agitation

Sheikh Hasina's government shut down mobile internet services across the country on July 18 after violence escalated in deadly protests that have rocked Bangladesh since the high court struck down a controversial quota system in government jobs earlier this month.

At the time, Palak said, “The decision has been taken in the wake of the current crisis in the country and to prevent the spread of fake news on social media”, Daily Star newspaper reported.

The next day, amid escalating violence, a building belonging to the Disaster Management Department, adjacent to which a data center was located, was set on fire. Officials of the Internet Service Providers Association of Bangladesh (ISPAB) said the fire could reduce bandwidth supply by 30-40 percent, disrupting broadband Internet connections for the entire country within an hour.

Between 18 July and 23 July, Bangladesh remained disconnected from both broadband and mobile internet, but broadband internet was gradually restored.

But mobile internet was not available till Sunday.

Social media access has not been decided yet

Regarding access to social media platforms, Palak said the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has sent letters to the authorities of social media platforms including Facebook, TikTok and YouTube.

“Their representatives will have to come to Dhaka by July 31 to explain. After that we will discuss with them and take a decision, he said.

BTRC is responsible for regulating all aspects related to telecommunication in Bangladesh.

Bangladesh protest

In Bangladesh, violent clashes broke out between police and mostly student protesters demanding an end to a controversial quota system that reserved 30 percent of government jobs for relatives of veterans who fought in Bangladesh's 1971 independence war.

Internet and mobile services were disrupted following the violence across the country.

Last Monday, the Supreme Court reduced the quota for veterans to just 5 percent. Thus, 93 percent of civil service jobs will be merit-based while the remaining 2 percent will be reserved for ethnic minorities, transgenders and physically challenged people.

According to local newspapers, more than 100 people have been killed in the violence. However, official death statistics are not available.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday defended the decision to impose a curfew with a shoot-on-sight order after the encounter, asserting that strict measures had been taken to ensure the safety of people's lives and property.

Bangladesh returned to normal on Wednesday as rush-hour traffic returned to the capital's streets and banks, clothing factories and limited internet services resumed.

(with input from agencies)