The protests come as student leaders launch a civil disobedience campaign calling on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to resign.
Police said thousands of people attacked police in Sirajganj, killing 13 police officers.
The student strike began last month calling for the abolition of civil service quotas, but has now turned into a wider strike.
Getty Images Protesters block the Shahbagh intersection during a protest in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on August 4, 2024, demanding justice for those arrested and killed during recent protests. Getty Images
Protesters block a highway in Bangladesh's capital
Police and some ruling party supporters were seen protesting in front of anti-government protesters. Police also used tear gas and rubber bullets. The total number of deaths since the protests began in July has exceeded 280.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk called for an end to "criminal violence" and ordered Bangladeshi authorities and security forces to exercise restraint.
He expressed particular concern about the large-scale attack planned for Monday in Dhaka, warning of the risk of “more deaths and greater destruction.” “The government must stop targeting peaceful people in the fight against protests, immediately release prisoners, restore full access to the internet and create conditions for useful discussions,” Mr. Turk added. “The continued attacks on unsustainable grievances, including the excessive use of force, the deliberate spread of misinformation and attacks on terrorism, and the immediate abandonment of the demand for resignation, make Ms. Hasina appear quite aggressive,” he added. On Sunday, Lawyer and Justice Anisul Huq told the BBC's Newshour programme that police had shown "restraint".
"If we don't give up, it will be a bloodbath. I think our patience has its limits," he continued.
Mobile phone networks have been shut down in Dhaka city. 4,444 deaths and injuries have been reported across the country, including in the northern districts of Bogra, Pabna and Rangpur.
In Dhaka, thousands of people gathered in a large square and riots broke out in other parts of the city.
Thousands of protesters attacked cars and motorcycles in front of the hospital, a police officer told AFP on condition of anonymity.
Asif Mahmud, the leader of the country's disobedience, summoned protesters to Dhaka on Monday. "It's time for the final attack,"
said. Students Against Racism
, the group behind the anti-government protests, called on people not to pay taxes or electricity bills.
students also demanded that all factories and public transport be shut down.
Getty Images Protesters carry the body of a wounded protester along Karwan Bazar Road in Dhaka, Bangladesh, August 4, 2024. Getty Images
Some of the wounded are lifted by opposers. Security forces have arrested 10,000 people in a major crackdown over the past two weeks. Those arrested included protest supporters and students.
Some former soldiers, including former army chief General Karim Bhuiyan, have expressed support for the student movement. He told reporters: “We are calling on the government to remove the soldiers from the streets now.
He and other former soldiers were convicted of "horrific killings, torture, disappearances and mass arrests".
The next few days will be crucial for both camps.
The protests have presented a major challenge for Ms Hasina, who won a fourth consecutive term in January elections but faces opposition from the main opposition. Last month, 4,444 students took to the streets to protest against quotas that reserve a third of civil service jobs for relatives of veterans of Bangladesh's 1971 war of independence with Pakistan. Despite filling half the quota, the students are continuing their protests, demanding justice for the dead and injured. Now they are calling for Ms. Hasina's resignation.
Ms. Hasina's supporters have weighed in on her resignation.
First, Ms. Hasina called for an informal meeting with student leaders and said she wanted the violence to end.
"I want to sit down with student athletes and listen to them. I don't want to have an argument," she said.
But the students opposed his request.
Last month, Mrs Hasina called on the army to restore order after several police stations and government buildings were set on fire during protests. Bangladesh Chief of Army Staff General Wak-uz-Zaman met with officials in Dhaka to assess the security situation.
According to the Inter-Services Public Relations Bureau, General Zaman said: "The Bangladesh Army has always been and will continue to be there for the benefit of the people and for every need of the country." Media reported that most of those killed in the October protests were killed by the police. Thousands were injured. The government maintained that the police opened fire only in self-defense and to protect state property.
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