Bangladeshi authorities have taken three student leaders, who assisted in organizing protests against government job quotas, from a hospital after days of deadly nationwide protests and imposed curfews and communication restrictions.

Police reportedly compelled the release of the three leaders of the Students Against Discrimination movement from the Gonoshasthaya Kendra hospital in Dhaka on Friday.

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan stated that the leaders were taken into custody "for their own security" and that they were under interrogation to address alleged threats against them.

Although it was initially denied, the Home Minister later indicated that the three students were being interrogated for their safety and that the next steps would be decided upon completion of the questioning.

Additionally, a ward boy from the hospital was taken into custody, and the phones of the leaders' family members were confiscated by security forces.

The incident occurred after an attempt by Al Jazeera to interview the students, who had been isolated by authorities.

The protests, which began peacefully, were aimed at challenging a job quota system that reserved 30 percent of positions for the relatives of those involved in Bangladesh's independence war in 1971.

Following a reduction of the reservation to 93 percent merit-based jobs by the Supreme Court, student leaders demanded various actions, including apologies from the Prime Minister and the dismissal of several officials.

The curfew has been gradually relaxed, and internet access has been partially restored, although many restrictions remain, impacting the economy.

The government has been accused of human rights violations during the crackdown on protesters, prompting calls for independent investigations by the UN and international human rights experts.