Nepal's Bara District Gripped by Unrest: Curfew Imposed for Second Day Amid Gen Z Protests
Image Source: Internet
A tense standoff continues in Nepal's Bara District, where protesters, mostly Gen Zers, clashed with police for the second consecutive day. The situation escalated on Thursday, prompting local authorities to impose a curfew from 1 to 8 PM to restore order. The protests began on Wednesday, allegedly sparked by a plan by Unified Marxist Leninist (UML) leaders to visit the district ahead of the upcoming election on March 5, 2026. The situation has been exacerbated by the security concerns following the September uprising, which saw hundreds of inmates escape with unaccounted-for weapons. On Wednesday, six Gen Z supporters were injured in a confrontation with UML cadres at Simara Chowk, near the Simara airport. The police detained two UML leaders, Ward Chair Dhan Bahadur Shrestha and Kaimudin Ansari, in connection with the incident. The police also fired teargas canisters, forcing the airport to suspend operations. Nepal is currently in a state of political transition following the change in regime in September, which led to the resignation of then-Prime Minister KP Oli. The new government, led by former Chief Justice Sushila Karki, was formed on September 12 and has recommended dissolving the parliament and calling for fresh elections. President Ram Chandra Paudel has since dissolved the parliament and scheduled the election for March 5, 2026.
