Dhaka: Student leaders in Bangladesh have called for a nationwide civil disobedience campaign as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government faces escalating backlash over a deadly police crackdown on protesters.

Protests against civil service job quotas led to days of chaos last month, resulting in over 200 deaths, marking some of the worst unrest during Hasina's 15-year tenure.

Although troop deployments temporarily restored order, large crowds returned to the streets after Friday prayers in response to a call by student leaders for further government concessions.

The group "Students Against Discrimination," which organized the initial protests, has urged Bangladeshis to launch a non-cooperation movement starting Sunday. This includes non-payment of taxes and utility bills, strikes by government workers, and halting overseas remittance payments through banks.

"This includes non-payment of taxes and utility bills, strikes by government workers, and a halt to overseas remittance payments through banks," Asif Mahmud of the group told AFP.

Students are demanding a public apology from Hasina for the violence and the dismissal of several ministers. They also insist on reopening schools and universities, which were closed during the height of the unrest. Some protesters are calling for Hasina to resign.

"She must go because we don't need this authoritarian government," said 20-year-old protester Nijhum Yasmin in Dhaka.

The non-cooperation strategy draws from Bangladesh's 1971 liberation war against Pakistan, which was led by Hasina's father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

"Now the tables have turned," said Illinois State University politics professor Ali Riaz. "The regime's foundation has been shaken, the aura of invincibility has disappeared," he added. "The question is whether Hasina is ready to look for an exit or fight to the last."

Hasina has offered "unconditional dialogue" with the students to address their demands, according to her press secretary, Nayeemul Islam Khan. However, Mahmud stated that the students had rejected the offer.

Hasina, 76, has ruled Bangladesh since 2009 and won her fourth consecutive election in January without significant opposition. Her government faces accusations of misusing state institutions to maintain power and suppress dissent, including the extrajudicial killing of opposition activists.

The demonstrations began in early July over the reintroduction of a quota scheme, which reserved over half of all government jobs for certain groups. This move angered graduates facing an employment crisis, with around 18 million young Bangladeshis out of work, according to government figures.

The protests were mostly peaceful until police and pro-government student groups attacked demonstrators. The government imposed a nationwide curfew, deployed troops, and shut down the mobile internet network for 11 days to restore order.

Foreign governments condemned the crackdown, with EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell calling for an international probe into the "excessive and lethal force against protesters."

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan claimed that security forces acted with restraint but were "forced to open fire" to defend government buildings. The United Nations reported that at least 32 children were among those killed last month.