DHAKA, Aug. 24 (Xinhua) -- The Bangladesh authorities decided to further lift the curfew imposed from Wednesday night on six major cities, announcing that there will be no curfew for 17 hours on Saturday.

    A government handout Friday night said that the curfew will be lifted from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. local time on Saturday in the six divisional cities including Dhaka Metropolitan City.

Bangladeshi students throw stones towards police officers during a protest to demand the withdrawal of security forces in Dhaka, 22 August 2007. (Xinhua/AFP Photo)
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    However, the curfew will be in place from 10 p.m. Friday after a break of 14 hours.

    Thousands of city dwellers and traffic returned to streets in the capital during the 14-hour curfew-break Friday.

    Witnesses said people crowded city markets to buy essentials on the weekend while Muslim devotees prayed at mosques. Most shops and markets were open.

    Police sources said no major untoward incident happened since the curfew was clamped to cool down violent protests by students following beating up of a Dhaka University student by army men on the campus Monday.

    As the student protests escalated resulting in one death and hundreds injured, the government shut down all universities and colleges in the country's six divisional cities.

    Indefinite curfew in Bangladesh re-imposed after three hours' respite

Students and residents of Roysahebbazar raise their hands during a protest in Dhaka, Aug. 22, 2007. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

    After a three-hour respite, the indefinite curfew was re-imposed on capital Dhaka and five other divisional headquarters Thursday evening to restore normalcy in public life marred by violent student protests.

    There were no reports of any major untoward incident during the curfew in the capital Dhaka, as army, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB)and police strictly patrolled the city streets, private news agency UNB reported.