NEW DELHI, August 5. /TASS/. Bangladeshi President Shahabuddin Chuppu ordered the release of former prime minister and opposition leader Khaleda Zia from house arrest and the release of student protesters from jail, AFP reported.

The decision was made unanimously at a meeting held by the president, the report said.

Khaleda Zia, chairwoman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, previously served twice as the country’s prime minister. In 2008, a court sentenced her to 17 years in prison for bribery. Zia spent two years in prison and then was placed under house arrest. Her party said her prosecution was politically motivated.

Crowds of protesters remain in the streets of Dhaka and other cities, even though Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled the country. The military has temporarily taken control of the country, promising to stop shooting and urging people to maintain order. Bangladesh plans to form an interim government soon.

According to the Daily Star, at least 10,000 people have been arrested since the start of the unrest. According to AFP, which cited data from the police and healthcare system, more than 350 people have been killed in the protests since July. India Today television reported, citing unofficial sources, that the number of fatalities could range from 1,000 to 1,400.