DHAKA, Bangladesh — Bangladesh was crawling back to normalcy with limited internet and office hours Wednesday after more than a week of chaos triggered by student protests over government job quotas. Nearly 200 deaths were reported in just over a week of violence.
Most of the country remained without internet access, but thousands of cars were on the streets of the capital Dhaka after authorities relaxed a curfew for seven hours.
Offices and banks opened for a few hours Wednesday, while authorities restored broadband internet in some areas in Dhaka and the second-largest city of Chattogram. Authorities said the curfew would continue in Dhaka and elsewhere until the situation improves.
Since July 16, at least 197 people have been killed in violence, the leading Bengali-language Prothom Alo daily reported Wednesday. The Associated Press could not confirm the death toll from any official sources.
Mohammad Ali Arafat, the country's junior minister for information and broadcasting, told a news conference on Wednesday that official casualty figures would be announced after a judicial inquiry. He said a committee had been formed with a Supreme Court judge as its head to look into it.
He made the remarks to reporters as they visited the site of arson and destruction at the state-run Bangladesh Television headquarters in Dhaka.
While the government has pledged student protesters would not face legal action or harassment, media reports said that nearly 2,700 people had been arrested in recent days across the country. Many of the detainees, including opposition supporters, were sent to prison pending further legal procedures as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina pledged that perpetrators would face justice.
Schools and other educational institutions have remained closed until further notice.