Bangladeshi students set fire to the state broadcaster's headquarters on Thursday, following Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's appearance on the network in an attempt to quell violent protests that have resulted in at least 32 deaths.

Hundreds of demonstrators, demanding changes to civil service hiring practices, clashed with riot police, who responded with rubber bullets. The protesters overpowered the police, chasing them to the Bangladesh Television (BTV) headquarters in Dhaka, where they set the reception area and numerous vehicles on fire.

BTV reported on Facebook that "many people" were trapped inside as the fire spread. However, an official later confirmed to AFP that the building was safely evacuated. "The fire is still going on," the official stated. "We have come out to the main gate. Our broadcast has been shut down for now."

In response to the unrest, Hasina's government ordered the indefinite closure of schools and universities as police intensified efforts to restore order. The Prime Minister had appeared on BTV the previous night to condemn the "murder" of protesters and promised to hold those responsible accountable, regardless of their political ties.

Despite her appeal for calm, violence escalated on the streets. Police again used rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse the crowds. "Our first demand is that the Prime Minister must apologize to us," said 18-year-old protester Bidisha Rimjhim to AFP. "Secondly, justice must be ensured for our killed brothers."

Thursday's violence resulted in at least 25 deaths, adding to the seven reported earlier in the week, according to hospital figures compiled by AFP. Hundreds were also wounded, with hospital officials stating that police weaponry caused at least two-thirds of the deaths. "We've got seven dead here," an official at Uttara Crescent Hospital in Dhaka told AFP. "The first two were students with rubber bullet injuries. The other five had gunshot injuries." Nearly 1,000 others were treated for injuries, many from rubber bullets.

Journalist Didar Malekin reported to AFP that Mehedi Hasan, a reporter for Dhaka Times, was killed while covering the clashes in Dhaka. Violent protests erupted in several cities across Bangladesh, with riot police confronting demonstrators who had set up blockades on roads and highways. The Rapid Action Battalion police force reported that helicopters had rescued 60 police officers trapped on the roof of a building at Canadian University, a hotspot of Thursday's clashes.

The ongoing protests have called for an end to a quota system that reserves over half of civil service jobs for specific groups, including the children of veterans from Bangladesh's 1971 liberation war. Critics argue that the system unfairly benefits pro-government factions loyal to Hasina, who has been in power since 2009 and secured her fourth consecutive term in January in an election criticized for lack of genuine opposition.

Rights groups accuse Hasina's administration of suppressing dissent and exerting control over state institutions, including through extrajudicial killings of opposition activists. Mubashar Hasan, a Bangladesh expert at the University of Oslo, told AFP that the protests had evolved into a broader outcry against Hasina's authoritarian rule. "They are protesting against the repressive nature of the state," he said. "Protesters are questioning Hasina's leadership, accusing her of clinging onto power by force. The students are in fact calling her a dictator."

Widespread mobile internet outages were reported across Bangladesh on Thursday, following an earlier shutdown of Facebook access, which had been used to organize protests. Junior telecommunications minister Zunaid Ahmed Palak stated that social media had been "weaponized to spread rumors, lies, and disinformation," prompting the government to impose restrictions.

Alongside police crackdowns, confrontations between protesters and students affiliated with the ruling Awami League have erupted, involving thrown bricks and bamboo rods. Amnesty International highlighted video evidence showing Bangladeshi security forces using excessive force during the clashes.