Bangladesh's Supreme Court has abolished most of the quotas on government jobs that led to nationwide protests, resulting in at least 114 deaths. The court's Appellate Division overturned a lower court's decision, stipulating that 93% of government jobs must now be merit-based, as reported by Attorney General A.M. Amin Uddin to Reuters. He expressed hope that this ruling would restore normalcy and deter further violence.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government had removed the quota system in 2018, but its reinstatement by a lower court last month, setting quotas at 56%, ignited the protests and a subsequent government crackdown. Since Thursday, internet and text message services have been suspended across the nation, which has nearly 170 million people, as security forces enforced a ban on public gatherings. Soldiers have been patrolling Dhaka, with army checkpoints and a curfew imposed late Friday.

Following the Supreme Court's decision, the streets near the court were quiet, though a military tank was stationed at the court's gate. Earlier in the day, there were sporadic clashes between protesters and security forces. Many Bangladesh-based media websites and social media accounts remained inactive, and overseas phone calls were largely unsuccessful.

The government extended the curfew until 3 p.m. (0900 GMT) on Sunday, allowing a two-hour window for people to gather supplies, but it was unclear what would happen to the curfew after the ruling. The unrest was sparked by student anger over quotas, which included reserving 30% of jobs for families of independence fighters. The Supreme Court has now reduced this quota to 5%, with the remaining 2% reserved for marginalized groups and the disabled.

These demonstrations, the largest since Hasina's recent re-election, were also driven by high youth unemployment, with young people constituting nearly a fifth of the population. Last year, high living costs led to deadly protests in Bangladesh, following the country's appeal to the International Monetary Fund for a $4.7 billion bailout due to depleting dollar reserves needed for oil and gas imports.

Many opposition leaders, activists, and student protesters have been arrested during the current crackdown. Nahid Islam, a prominent student coordinator, was detained on Saturday. Universities and colleges have been closed since Wednesday, and the U.S. State Department has raised its travel advisory for Bangladesh to level four, advising American citizens against traveling there.