One hundred and forty-seven people have died in the violence during the quota reform protests, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan has said.

“147 deaths have so far been reported, including police members, Awami League leaders and activists, students, and people of various professions,” he told reporters at the Secretariat on Sunday.

The minister added that further investigation is underway to determine the final death toll and to categorize the deceased by gender and profession.

However, Prothom Alo reported on Sunday that the death toll from the clashes across the country had risen to 209. Witnesses claim that the actual number is significantly higher than government figures.

The Mirror Asia investigation revealed that law enforcement agencies allegedly took death registration forms from major hospitals in Dhaka to obscure the real death count.

The students' protests demanding reform in government job quotas began on July 1. After violent clashes with police and Chhatra League activists at Dhaka University on July 15, the unrest spread nationwide.