Bangladesh's top court on Sunday largely scaled back a decision to reintroduce a quota system for government jobs following a week of deadly clashes between student demonstrators, police and pro-government groups.

Over 150 people have been reported killed and thousands injured in the worst unrest the country has seen in decades.

Demonstrations started after the government said it would reinstate a quota system for well-paid and secure government jobs, reserving more than half for specific groups.

This included 30% for descendants of "freedom fighters" who fought for Bangladesh's independence from Pakistan in 1971. It was seen as favoring supporters of long-serving Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her ruling Awami League, a claim the party has denied.

In its recommendation, the Supreme Court advised 93% of all appointments are to be based on merit with immediate effect, with 5% going to descendants of freedom fighters, and 2% to people from ethnic minorities or with disabilities.

However, the court also said the government is still permitted to change the recommended quota ratio.

To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video

Internet connectivity and text messaging have been largely cut off in Bangladesh since Thursday after protests intensified. This was followed by a curfew and military deployment to help the civilian administration keep........

© Deutsche Welle