Bangladesh's military-backed government has ordered an indefinite curfew in Dhaka and other cities after worsening violence between students and police.
Bangladesh's military-backed government has ordered an indefinite curfew in Dhaka and other cities after worsening violence between students and police.
At least one person was killed and 100 others injured as riots by students spread to more universities across the country on Wednesday, police say.
At least one person died and 100 others were hurt as riots spread across the country on Wednesday, police say. The students want an end to emergency rule.
The government has appealed for calm, and warned people not to break the law.
The mobile phone network has been shut down and the government has urged calm.
The violence poses the most serious challenge to the emergency government since it took power six months ago.
The violence poses the most serious challenge to the emergency government since it took power six months ago.
More violent
Spreading
Clashes between police and students broke out in the capital, Dhaka, on Monday and have since spread to Sylhet in the north and to the southern port city of Chittagong.
Clashes between police and students broke out in the capital, Dhaka, on Monday and have since spread to other parts of the country, including Sylhet in the north and the port of Chittagong in the south.
The student protests appear to be growing
We request channels to stop televising footage of violence until further notice because this might instigate further violence Government adviser Mainul Husein
In all, five main cities plus the capital have been made subject to the overnight curfew.
In all, five main cities plus the capital are under overnight curfew.
Universities and colleges in the six cities have been ordered to close and all students told to leave campuses by 2000 local time on Wednesday.
The head of the caretaker government, Fakhruddin Ahmed, has announced he will address the nation on the rioting, but a time for the speech has not been set.
Correspondents say the protests are growing, with non-students now joining in.
Universities and colleges in the six cities have been ordered to close and all students told to leave. Television stations have been ordered to stop broadcasting footage of the violence.
The BBC's Qadir Kallol in Dhaka says slum dwellers, shop keepers, rickshaw pullers and businessmen joined stone-throwing students in violent and bloody demonstrations.
Correspondents say the protests appear to be growing more violent across the country, and are turning into a popular movement demanding the immediate restoration of democracy.
Slum dwellers, shop keepers, rickshaw pullers and businessmen joined stone-throwing students in violent and bloody demonstrations in Dhaka on Wednesday.
They confronted police who baton charged them and fired tear gas.
They confronted police who baton charged them and fired tear gas.
Our correspondent says the protests appear to be growing more violent across the country, and are turning into a popular movement demanding the immediate restoration of democracy.
The student protests appear to be growing
The BBC's John Sudworth at Dhaka University said that armoured personnel carriers could be seen announcing the curfew to hundreds of protesters manning barricades, lighting fires, throwing stones or just trying to get back home.
The first casualty of the unrest was a rickshaw puller killed during rioting on Wednesday in the north-western town of Rajshahi, officials said.
The first casualty of the unrest was a rickshaw puller killed during rioting on Wednesday in the north-western town of Rajshahi, officials said.
Police are accused of using tear gas indiscriminately, at one point on Tuesday even firing it into a female students' dormitory at Dhaka University to prevent them from joining the protests.
Police are accused of using tear gas indiscriminately, at one point on Tuesday even firing it into a female students' dormitory at Dhaka University to prevent them from joining the protests.
The military-backed caretaker government has been ruling under a state of emergency since January. It says elections will take place before the end of next year, allowing it time to rid the country of corruption.
Apology sought
Public apology
Clashes began on Monday, when students in Dhaka said they had been "manhandled" by soldiers during a football match.
The violence flared even though the government on Tuesday agreed to one of the main demands from students at Dhaka University for soldiers to withdraw from the campus.
The police rather than the army are confronting the protesters
The police rather than the army are confronting the protesters
The pull-out was completed early on Wednesday.
Violence continued even though a student demand that troops be withdrawn from the Dhaka campus was met early on Wednesday.
In a list of demands, the students say that the army must leave all educational institutions across the country, and those soldiers responsible for beating up students must be punished.
The students have also demanded a public apology from the army chief, Gen Moeen U Ahmed, and want soldiers who have beaten up students to be punished.
They have also demanded a public apology from the army chief, Gen Moeen U Ahmed, and medical treatment and compensation for those wounded in the violence.
The violence is in contrast to widespread popular support for the interim government when it came to power in January promising to stamp out corruption and to hold elections by the end of 2008.
Clashes began on Monday, when students in Dhaka said they had been "manhandled" by soldiers during a football match, according to police chief Shahidul Islam.
The violence is in contrast to widespread popular support for the interim government when it came to power.
But discontent has been rising in recent months, most notably over with the rapidly rising cost of living.
But discontent has been rising in recent months, most notably over with the rapidly rising cost of living.
Two other military governments in the past - that of Ziaur Rahman and Muhammad Ershad - were both brought down in protests that were started by students.
Two other military governments in the past - that of Ziaur Rahman and Muhammad Ershad - were both brought down in protests that were started by students.
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