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The government on Sunday assured foreign diplomats that the situation would normalise in a short time.

Foreign minister Hasan Mahmud gave the assurance at a diplomatic briefing at state guesthouse Jamuna in the presence of diplomats from all 60 foreign missions in Dhaka. 

He blamed the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party and Jamaat-e-Islami for violence during the student movement as the second day of the curfew also saw killing and clashes in places in the ongoing student protests for reforming the quota system in the public service.

Hasan, however, regretted the disruption in daily life in the ongoing violence across the country over the issue.

‘The Government of Bangladesh regrets the unwarranted disruption of daily life caused by the recent episode of violence perpetrated by the anti-liberation and anti-state elements and religious extremists by infiltrating a peaceful student protest,’ the foreign minister said while reading out a written statement.   

Several ambassadors expressed concerns over a developing situation here.    

They also called upon the government for immediate steps to resume internet services as the internet blackout continued for the third consecutive day amid the violence in Dhaka and other places across the country.

‘Although the protest was triggered by a court verdict, not by any executive action, the government, from its deep conviction in democratic norms and practices, made room for peaceful assembly and protests initially by university students,’ Hasan said in his diplomatic briefing.

He told the foreign diplomats that the government could arrange visit of diplomatic corps to some major sites of destruction.

‘The issue essentially remains an internal affair of Bangladesh,’ he mentioned.

The minister did not give any figure in his statement.   

The government imposed a curfew across the country for an indefinite period from midnight past Friday as at least 67 people were killed on that day alone taking the death toll to over 150 in the past six days of protests for reform of quotas in government jobs.