Bangladesh's capital, Dhaka, and five other cities are quiet following a curfew that was imposed after violent clashes between police and students.
The military-backed government in Bangladesh says it has temporarily lifted a curfew it imposed to quell clashes between police and students.
Shops and most offices are shut and the roads are empty apart from army checkpoints and patrols.
The curfew, which was introduced on Wednesday, was to be relaxed for three hours from 1600 local time (1000 GMT).
At least one person died and several hundred were hurt as rioting by students demanding an end to emergency rule spread across the country.
Earlier the capital, Dhaka, and other cities were reported to be quiet after three days of violent clashes.
Universities and colleges remain closed as part of the indefinite curfew.
Two previous Bangladeshi military governments have been felled in protests started by students.
The mobile phone service has been restored after it was shut down overnight.
At least one person died and several hundred were hurt as rioting broke out in the capital on Monday among demonstrators demanding an end to emergency rule.
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For now the measures seems to have brought the situation under control, says the BBC's John Sudworth, in Dhaka.
Clashes broke out in the capital on Monday, and spread to other parts of the country, including Sylhet in the north and the port of Chittagong in the south.
The violence poses the most serious challenge to the emergency government since it took power six months ago, says our correspondent.
'Evil forces'
'Evil forces'
The violence spread to five other cities, including Sylhet in the north of the country and the port of Chittagong in the south.
The mobile phone service has been restored after it was shut down overnight.
The violence has posed the most serious challenge to the emergency government since it took power six months ago, says the BBC's John Sudworth, in Dhaka.
The curfew started at 2000 on Wednesday (1400 GMT).
The curfew started at 2000 on Wednesday (1400 GMT).
Dhaka, normally choked with traffic, is very quiet, our correspondent says.
Dotted with military checkpoints, the normally traffic-choked roads of Dhaka were virtually empty of civilians.
Some people are being allowed to travel through the checkpoints, mostly on foot or bicycle rickshaw, but the roads, still patrolled by the army, are empty.
"The curfew will be relaxed from 1600 to 1900 in the interests of the people," a spokesman for the Press and Information Department told the AFP news agency on Thursday.
The army has retreated from the Dhaka University campus
The head of the caretaker government, Fakhruddin Ahmed, has accused "evil forces" and opportunists of trying to foment anarchy.
Late on Wednesday, the head of the caretaker government, Fakhruddin Ahmed, addressed the nation.
Discontent has been rising recently over the cost of living
He said "evil forces" and opportunists were trying to foment anarchy, but he promised the curfews were only a temporary measure.
The government declared Thursday a public holiday and ordered universities and colleges across the country to close.
The government declared Thursday a public holiday and ordered universities and colleges in the six cities to close and told all students to leave their campuses.
Television stations have been ordered to stop broadcasting footage of the violence.
Correspondents say the protests appear to be growing more violent, 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. They confronted police who baton charged them and fired tear gas.
The first casualty of the unrest was a rickshaw puller killed during rioting 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.
Apology sought
Monday's clashes began when students in Dhaka said they had been "manhandled" by soldiers during a football match.
Monday's clashes began when students in Dhaka said they had been "manhandled" by soldiers during a football match.
The student protests appear to be growing Violence continued even though a student demand that troops be withdrawn from the Dhaka campus was met early on Wednesday.
Slum dwellers, shopkeepers, rickshaw pullers and businessmen joined the violent clashes in the capital against police who baton-charged them and fired tear gas.
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.
The interim government initially enjoyed widespread popular support when it came to power in January promising to stamp out corruption and to hold elections by the end of 2008.
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.
But discontent has been rising in recent months, most notably over the increasing cost of living.
But discontent has been rising in recent months, most notably over the increasing 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.
Keeping the peace will now be the major test of this government's authority, our correspondent says.
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