Hundreds of Nepalis on Monday (March 30, 2026) demanded the release of former Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli, arrested for his alleged role in a deadly crackdown on 2025 protests that ousted him.

Mr. Oli, 74, and former Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak were arrested in pre-dawn raids on Saturday (March 28, 2026), a day after Prime Minister Balendra Shah was sworn in following the first elections since the September uprising.

Heavy police deployments on Monday (March 30, 2026) barred the protests as they neared the charred old Parliament building, set on fire in the September violence in which at least 76 people were killed.

The arrests of Mr. Oli and Mr. Lekhak came after an inquiry commission recommended that the four-time former Prime Minister and other officials be prosecuted for failing to stop security forces from opening fire on demonstrators. “Release K.P. Oli,” around 300 protesters chanted. “Scrap the commission report.”

Mr. Oli, who has health issues, appeared in court via video-link from hospital on Sunday (March 29, 2026), where an order was given to extend his detention for five days.

The two men were arrested over their alleged involvement in the protest crackdown. Neither has been charged, and both deny responsibility for the violence. Lawyers for Mr. Oli have submitted a petition to the Supreme Court for his release.

The commission report said statements given by Mr. Oli and Mr. Lekhak, claiming ignorance of the violence, were an attempt to shift responsibility and amounted to “criminal negligence”.

It recommended that they be investigated under a law that deals with death caused by recklessness. “Former Energy Minister Deepak Khadka was also detained on Sunday (March 29, 2026) in a money-laundering investigation,” police said.

The unrest in September 2025 began over a brief social media ban, but tapped into longstanding fury over economic hardship. It spread nationwide the following day as Parliament and government offices were set ablaze, resulting in the collapse of Mr. Oli’s government.

A curfew was imposed on a key border city in southern Nepal after Hindu and Muslim groups began protesting against each other following the vandalism of a mosque over the weekend, officials said Tuesday (January 6, 2026).

The curfew orders issued by the Parsa District Administration said that no one will be allowed in the streets and all gatherings and demonstrations are banned.

The notice also warned that violators could be shot by security forces.

Armed soldiers and police officers were patrolling the streets of Birgunj, located 130 kilometers (80 miles) south of the capital Kathmandu, which is the key border point for importing much of the oil, goods and supplies from neighbouring India to Nepal.

Muslim groups began protesting in the streets of Birgunj on Sunday against the vandalism of a mosque in a nearby town, which was followed by a separate demonstration by Hindu followers on the same day. Protests have continued since.

There have been no major clashes between the two groups and no major injuries noted, with only scuffles with riot police reported.

Clashes between Hindus and Muslims are rare in the predominately Hindu nation of Nepal, where the Muslim population is found mostly in border regions in the southern part of the country.

Around 540 Indian nationals serving time in various prisons across Nepal have been absconding ever since the Gen Z protests, the Department of Prison Management said on Sunday (October 12, 2025).

More than 13,000 prisoners escaped from various jails of Nepal during the second day of anti-government Gen Z protests on September 9. 

At least 5,000 Nepali citizens, convicted in various crimes, are still absconding, followed by 540 Indian nationals and 108 prisoners of other nations, the data revealed.

The government has issued alerts across the country to look out for those who have escaped from jail in different parts of the country. The Home Ministry has also issued a notice to those absconding prisoners to report to their respective jails. 

Ten prisoners have died during the clash with the security forces, while 7,735 inmates who escaped from various prisons across Nepal during the Gen Z protests have either returned or been brought back to their respective detention centres, authorities reported on September 28.

Thousands of youths under the banner of the Gen Z group staged anti-government protests in Kathmandu on September 8 and 9, in which 76 people were killed.

Nepal has imposed travel bans on ousted Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli and four former senior officials as part of an investigation into deadly unrest earlier this month, the Interior Minister said on Monday (September 29, 2025).

Youth-led protests that began on September 8 over a brief social media ban, economic hardship and corruption quickly morphed into nationwide fury after a deadly crackdown.

Two days of violence left at least 73 people dead, the Parliament and government offices were burned down, and forced the government’s collapse.

In addition to Mr. Oli, travel bans have been placed on former Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak, former Head of the National Investigation Department security agency, Hutaraj Thapa, and two other senior bureaucrats.

Interim Prime Minister Sushila Karki, who is leading the Himalayan nation until elections in March 2026, set up a commission to probe the violence.

The restrictions were recommended on Sunday (September 28, 2025) by the commission.

Home Minister Om Prakash Aryal told AFP on Monday that the ban is “already in effect.”

Commission member Bigyan Raj Sharma said in a statement on Sunday that the five men must obtain permission to even leave the Kathmandu Valley as they “may need to appear for investigation at any time”.

The Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) estimates the private sector, including automobile, hotel and retail industries, endured losses worth $600 million.

Former Prime Minister Mr. Oli has blamed “infiltrators” for inciting bloodshed and alleges rifles used in the protests came from another source.

The One Piece Straw Hat Jolly Roger has become the newest emblem of protest in the Philippines, following its appearances in Indonesia and Nepal. The anime’s skull-and-crossbones flag surfaced at mass rallies on September 21, a date that carries deep historical weight for Filipinos marking the anniversary of Ferdinand Marcos Sr.’s 1972 martial law declaration.

Tens of thousands filled Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA) in Manila for what organisers called the “Trillion Peso March,” denouncing corruption linked to flood-control projects. Demonstrators wore white, carried ribbons, and braved heavy rain while chanting for President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to step down. Alongside the national flag, many waved the Straw Hat Pirates’ Jolly Roger, a symbol of resistance that first went viral in Indonesia before spreading to Nepal and now the Philippines.

While the main demonstration remained largely peaceful, tensions escalated near the presidential palace. A youth-led march turned chaotic after a trailer truck was set ablaze, and masked protesters hurled stones at police. Authorities deployed water cannons to scatter the crowd.

September 21 is seared into Philippine history as the start of Marcos Sr.’s authoritarian rule, which saw mass arrests, torture, and thousands killed before his ouster in the 1986 People Power Revolution. Protest leaders deliberately chose the date to highlight what they say are echoes of that era in today’s governance.

The flag’s presence underscores a growing generational trend across Asia: Gen Z protesters adopting One Piece’s imagery as shorthand for rebellion and unity. In Indonesia, it became the banner for youth furious over elite privileges and military rule revisions. In Nepal, demonstrators angered by corruption, wealth flaunted by political dynasties, and a ban on social media platforms used it to topple a government.

At Manila’s Luneta Park, vendors sold straw hats in tribute to Monkey D. Luffy, the anime’s protagonist. “We relate to him because he keeps fighting for what’s right, even when the odds are against him,” a student protester Nico, told Manila Bulletin.

One Piece’s pirate flag is now a global protest icon. In France, it has appeared at rallies against budget cuts pushed by President Emmanuel Macron. Protest organisers say the symbol is especially resonant for younger crowds who grew up with One Piece and see it as a unifying call for “radical change.”

In 2016, Sushila Karki ascended to the position of Chief Justice of the Nepal Supreme Court, making her the first woman to be appointed to that position. Her appointment came following a recommendation by the Constitutional Council, which was headed by then Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli. Now, nine years later, Ms. Karki is poised to take over the reins of Nepal as its interim head, following Mr. Oli’s resignation, as the country gathers itself following days of bloody protests.

At least 51 people were killed after Gen-Z-led protestors clashed with security forces while rallying on streets demanding an end to Mr. Oli’s regime. Though the demonstration came at the heels of a controversial blanket social media ban, it signalled more serious concerns plaguing the Nepali political class. Prior to the ban, social media sites had emerged as the centre of a digital movement of sorts criticising children of the ruling political class — “nepo kids”, who were leading lavish lifestyles while youth back home dealt with misgovernance. Holding banners of “Youth against corruption”, the young protestors took to the streets demanding an end to corruption and favouritism.

Their demonstrations yielded a reversal of the social media ban, and brought about quick resignations of the country’s Home Minister as well as Prime Minister Oli. What has been described as a movement not aligned to any political party, managed to get this far without a visible singular leader. At the end of two violent days, this vacuum of power extended to the country’s top leadership.

A digital pick

With outrage giving way to desired results, it was time for the Nepali youth to now look for solutions. Sushila Karki’s name was quick to gain traction as online spaces, now restored, hosted discussions and polls to decide on who best would embody Gen-Z protestors demands. Ms. Karki’s year-long stint as the Chief Justice was a reason many gave for backing her.

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Born in Nepal’s Biratnagar in 1952, Ms. Karki completed her higher education from Tribhuvan University before she came to India. At the Banaras Hindu University, Ms. Karki pursued a Masters degree in Political Science. Later she returned to Kathmandu to get her Bachelor’s degree in Law from the Tribhuvan University. She is married to Durga Subedi, who was a youth leader in the Nepali Congress party

Ms. Karki began her professional journey as a teacher, before pivoting to law and by 2004 was a Senior Advocate in the Nepal Bar Association. From November 2010, Ms. Karki was appointed as Permanent Justice in the Nepal Supreme Court and was elevated to the court’s highest position in July 2016.

Ms. Karki served as Nepal Supreme Court’s Chief Justice for a year and was set to retire in 2017. However, just one month prior to her retirement Ms. Karki was suspended after an impeachment motion was introduced in Nepal’s Parliament accusing her of delivering biased judgments and interfering with executive powers. The motion was led by the two strongest parties in the coalition at the time — the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist-Centre) led by the then Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal and the Nepali Congress of Sher Bahadur Deuba. However, an intervention by the Supreme Court led to her eventual re-instatement.

Ms. Karki’s tenure in Nepal’s Supreme Court, and later as Chief Justice was marked by politically sensitive and socially transformative judgments including one that banned commercial surrogacy in favour of altruistic one. Ms. Karki in 2012 was also part of the bench that had convicted then incumbent Minister of Information J.P. Gupta of corruption. The impeachment proceedings against Ms. Karki were largely seen as a response to her ordering the government to revoke the appointment of Jaya Bahadur Chand as Nepal’s Police Chief. Even just a day before impeachment proceedings were introduced against her, Ms. Karki convicted three former Inspectors General of Nepal Police in a multimillion dollar scam case.

Ms. Karki’s professional past has served as a confidence booster for Nepal’s youth seeking cleaner politics moving forward. However, the former Chief Justice will have to navigate a landscape still in disagreement. Ms. Karki’s primary responsibility will also entail conducting free and fair elections in the country. In the past, Ms. Karki’s judgments shaped Nepal’s socio-political temperament. The retired jurist now will have to navigate Nepal’s future by banking upon her experiences.

As protests led by Nepal’s Gen Z against corruption reshape the country’s politics, Nepal nationals in Hyderabad are watching closely, their emotions swinging between pride, worry and hope. Many who left their homes in search of work expressed support for the protests, even as they remain concerned for the safety of their families.

“There are barely any opportunities for young people in Nepal. That is why we had to leave,” said Dinesh, a native of Pokhara who works at a tea stall at a popular eatery on TV Studio road in Ramanthapur. As he poured steaming filter coffee into tumblers for the morning crowd, he added, “We support this protest. It is the right step. For years, politicians grew wealthy on taxpayers’ money while Nepal’s educated youth were forced to migrate to India and other countries for work. Removing these corrupt leaders was essential.”

Dinesh, who moved to Hyderabad four years ago, speaks daily with his family back home. “They are safe. Protesters are targeting politicians, not citizens,” he said.

Along the 200-metre stretch of this market road, at least ten other migrants from Nepal are employed in hotels and shops. Aneesh, a cook from Kathmandu, said the lack of decent wages in Nepal had forced many to move abroad. “Even if we find a job there, the pay is not enough to run a family. What is happening now is painful but necessary,” he said.

Many remembered leaving Nepal as teenagers, some as young as 15, carrying little more than hope and a degree, and taking up work as waiters, hotel staff, helpers, or care workers. Now, while sending money home, they hope these protests mark a turning point.

Kunal, 22, who came to Hyderabad when he was 15, now works as a chef at a café in Secunderabad, said “The fight against corruption was long overdue. But the destruction in Kathmandu, Pokhara and Itahari is sad to see.” He last spoke to his family two days ago, after a brief disruption in communication owing to the social media ban.

“The impact in villages is lesser. I plan to travel as soon as the situation gets better,” he said.

Kunal lives with his brother and other migrants from his village. Their café chain employs more than 40 Nepal nationals across branches in Hyderabad, according to its manager, who said staff welfare has been prioritised during this difficult period.

“Nepal’s GenZ is brave and kind, standing up for truth and carrying the hope of change. I just hope they can also guide millennials and the older generations to see beyond the political noise and recognise what is genuine,” said Mamta Raj Kumar, a businesswoman and native of Biratnagar, Nepal.