Police in Bangladesh’s capital, Dhaka, fired tear gas and used batons on Saturday to disperse hundreds of student protesters angered by the traffic deaths of two fellow students.

Witnesses and local media reports said chaos broke out as police and government officials swooped in on the students, leaving many injured. A top leader of the ruling party Awami League said some “criminals” wearing school uniforms joined the violence.

Many protesters blamed the student wing of the ruling party for the attacks. Television stations aired footage of the clashes, with protesters throwing stones at police.

The city was largely cut off from the rest of Bangladesh as bus companies refused to enter the area from other parts of the country. Buses are key to transportation in Bangladesh, where trains are overcrowded and most people cannot afford cars.