Bangladesh protests escalated into violence, with clashes between students, pro-government supporters, and armed police over civil service job quotas. On July 19, three people died in fresh protests, despite authorities cutting some mobile telephone services the previous day to quell unrest initially sparked by student anger. The government offered no immediate comment on the severed communications. New protests defied an order barring public meetings after nearly two dozen people were killed in earlier violence. Many opposition leaders, activists, and student protesters were arrested, though Reuters could not verify this. Police fired tear gas in Dhaka, where little traffic was seen on Friday, a weekly holiday. High youth unemployment has fuelled the nationwide agitation. Internet and overseas calls were disrupted, and several newspapers` websites and social media were inactive. News channels went off air, while entertainment channels remained unaffected. Buildings were damaged, and charred vehicles lined the streets.