Bangladesh’s prime minister Sheikh Hasina is under fire for “shedding crocodile tears” over damage caused to a railway station during a protest against her government that left more than 150 people dead.

Ms Hasina was seen wiping away tears in pictures taken during her visit to a metro station in Mirpur, as social media users lambasted her for what they saw as her apparent lack of empathy for the victims of violence.

Police fired rubber bullets, released teargas, and threw sound-grenades in an effort to disperse tens of thousands of protesters who came out onto the streets to rail against job quotas. The government denied that any live rounds had been fired, but hospital sources said dead and injured people had wounds from bullets and shotgun pellets.

Rights groups and critics accuse Ms Hasina of becoming increasingly autocratic during her 15 years in power. They say her time in office has been marked by mass arrests of political opponents and activists, forced disappearances, and extrajudicial killings. She denies all of these charges.

“What kind of mentality leads them to destroy facilities that make people’s lives easier?” the leader was quoted as saying by the Business Standard during her visit to Mirpur.

The prime minister also toured a damaged section of Bangladesh Television (BTV), as she accused the protesters of trying to spoil “Bangladesh’s image abroad”.

Calling on the public to help the government find those responsible for the vandalism, she said: “Please help us find those who are involved, no matter what nook or cranny of the country they are in, and bring them to justice.”

Bangladeshi news portal BDNews24 quoted her as saying: “I say to citizens and Dhaka residents – those who are responsible for this suffering and destruction, who are today spoiling Bangladesh’s image abroad – I leave to you the responsibility of bringing them to justice.

Alleging that the protesters were spreading disinformation, she said: “Do not allow them to stir unrest by spreading fake propaganda. Everyone must know the truth. They are still making calls from London, trying to ruin the country’s honour and stir up expatriates around the world.”

“We lost 200+ students. Students who are called the future of a nation. Students who were only fighting for their own rights,” wrote a user on X/Twitter. “But PM Sheikh Hasina had the time to go watch and ‘cry’ for a metro rail, not for the people who won’t return ever again.”

“It was the funniest thing I saw yesterday! Lmao she deserves an award for acting this hard and shedding crocodile tears!!!!” wrote another user.

The protests began after students took to the streets demanding an end to a quota system that reserves up to 30 per cent of government jobs for relatives of veterans who fought in Bangladesh’s war of independence against Pakistan in 1971.

The demonstrations began late last month, but tensions escalated last week when students at Dhaka University, the country’s largest university, clashed with police, and a counterprotest inflamed the situation. The students alleged that the protest was peaceful until the student wing of the ruling Awami League party attacked the protesters.

“People are being deprived of their basic rights, with a significant lack of human rights and justice. They can’t cast their votes freely,” he said. “This widespread frustration and anger among the people is evident in the protests.”