POBNEWS24, Desk report Sept 9, 2025 : Protests in Nepal began due to a social media ban. The protest ultimately led to the resignation of the country’s prime minister. Allegations of widespread corruption against the government. In the end, the use of bullets to suppress the movement and the death of 19 people increased the level of protests. As a result, the country’s Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli was forced to resign on Tuesday.
The protests in Nepal were initially seen by many, including the country’s political leadership, as just young people losing faith in the government because they could not use Instagram or anything else. It quickly escalated. This is another example of a major setback for the government, as young citizens have come out in protests in India’s neighboring countries, including the resignation of the prime minister.
Initially, peaceful protests began after the lifting of the social media ban, but the Generation-G groups leading the movement demanded a change of government on the issue of corruption. This continued. Protesters have drawn inspiration from within and outside the South Asian subcontinent. Many have cited protests in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka as inspiration.
TikTok videos have been a catalyst for raising questions about corruption within the government, as the platform was not among the 26 social media platforms banned last week.
The Nepalese government has said it is protecting national interests by seeking revenue and more control from mostly foreign-owned social media companies.
A year after the Bangladesh coup, the resignation of Nepal’s prime minister means that Nepal will become the third country among India’s neighbours to see a government overthrown by young people since 2022, Indian media reported. The protests have been led by “Generation Z,” who were born in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
Similar anger was seen in Bangladesh in July 2024, when the student-led Awami League government, which had been in power for 16 years, fell over a controversial quota system in government jobs, and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled to India.
Sri Lankan youth protests
In the south of the subcontinent, Sri Lanka witnessed major protests against the government in 2022 over corruption. The leadership was young but not attracted to the existing party or system. The country was facing food and fuel shortages due to inflation and general distress, including daily power outages.
Economic mismanagement became a central issue. At one point, the crisis sparked public anger, forcing President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and other family rulers to resign. The country then held elections in 2024, and the leftist National People’s Power Alliance, led by Anura Kumara Dissanayake, came to power.
What will be the next government in Nepal?
In Nepal, protesters, like those in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, have claimed to be apolitical in terms of party affiliation. As a result, the path forward for them and their country could be complicated. Meanwhile, the country’s army has taken the country’s ministers under security custody. It has also taken over security responsibility nationwide.
Yoga Raj Lamichhane, an assistant professor at Nepal’s Pokhara University, told AFP, “The protests have intensified because of the frustration of the youth and their distrust of authority. Because they feel they have been removed from decision-making. The grievances run deeper.” Meanwhile, Nepal’s President Paudel is reported to have started the process of forming a new government.
According to Indian media reports, India has already condemned the violence and killing of protesters. It has also increased surveillance along its mostly open border with Nepal. However, Indian officials say they see no reason for the protests to spread to India.
