When Youth Rise: Lessons from Nepal and Bangladesh


 What is happening in our own backyard in the past couple of months requires more than headlines; it requires introspection. Bangladesh was jolted first, and Nepal was jolted next, by mass youth uprisings. While immediate provocation might vary, the common message is one of discontent: a new generation won’t tolerate arrangements it perceives as discriminatory, inaccessible, and out of sync with their dreams.

Bangladesh: Demonstrations Against Job Quotas

In July 2024, Bangladesh was convulsed in its largest social upheaval in three decades. Students and young professionals marched in huge numbers into the streets in defiance of the government’s system of job quotas, under which close to 30% of government sector jobs were reserved for specific sections of society. Peaceful protests initially mushroomed into a national emergency. Over 200 were killed, a series of curfews was imposed, and the government eventually did away with the quota system.

For the youth in Bangladesh, it was not just a job issue. It was a challenge against entrenched privilege and favoritism, and a cry for meritocracy and accountability.

Nepal: Gen Z and the Social Media Ban

Scarcely weeks after, Nepal was hit with a storm of its own. Thousands of young Nepalis, some dressed in school uniforms, protested in the streets on September 8, 2025, when the government unexpectedly shut down 26 social networks, such as Facebook, WhatsApp, and YouTube.

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