Youth-Led, Corruption-Driven: Unrest In Nepal Mirrors Bangladesh Playbook, Say Sources | Exclusive

Last Updated:September 09, 2025, 14:53 IST

According to sources, like Bangladesh, Nepal is also witnessing “digital frustration” over corruption, inflation, unemployment, and dynastic politics.

People displaying Nepal's national flag burn tyres during a demonstration to condemn the police's deadly crackdown on protesters in Kathmandu on September 9. (AFP)

Nepal’s unfolding political unrest is beginning to look strikingly similar to the recent turmoil in Bangladesh, with youth-driven activism, online outrage over corruption, and rejection of entrenched political elites shaping the trajectory, top intelligence sources have told CNN-News18.

According to sources, like Bangladesh, Nepal is also witnessing “digital frustration" over corruption, inflation, unemployment, and dynastic politics. “What began as scattered student grievances is fast transforming into a coordinated youth backlash against ruling parties," sources said, pointing to growing online anger against Nepal’s Congress and UML, much like Bangladesh’s youth rejection of the Awami League and BNP.

Analysts note that Nepal’s diaspora is playing a critical role. “Just as Bangladesh’s overseas networks amplified anti-graft messaging, Nepal’s diaspora and international associations are giving teeth to anti-corruption narratives," a senior intelligence source explained. These networks, they added, are strengthening protest momentum at home by constantly feeding discontent through social media channels.

Sources stressed that the pattern of escalation is identical. “In Bangladesh, digital activism rapidly spilled onto the streets, leading to massive mobilisations. Nepal is following the same path, with social media influencers and activist networks amplifying youth grievances," sources noted. The common thread, according to intelligence inputs, is a generation disillusioned by elite privilege and systemic graft.

Recent developments in Nepal’s parliament are further sharpening the crisis. “The 21 MPs from Rabi Lamichhane’s Rastriya Swatantra Party showing signs of escalation is comparable to Bangladesh’s opposition walkouts that deepened questions of parliamentary legitimacy," a source said. The intelligence view is that these parliamentary standoffs could become flashpoints for wider street mobilisation.

At the heart of both movements is generational anger. “In both Dhaka and Kathmandu, young people see the political class as corrupt and self-serving, unwilling to tackle inflation or unemployment," sources noted. Sources warn that such resentment, if left unaddressed, risks “collapsing the traditional party system."

For now, Nepal’s unrest is largely digital, but intelligence assessments stress that the country is on the same trajectory Bangladesh followed only months ago. “The playbook is the same: youth-led, diaspora amplified, corruption-driven, and primed for street escalation," sources concluded.

Manoj Gupta

Group Editor, Investigations & Security Affairs, Network18

Group Editor, Investigations & Security Affairs, Network18

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