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.
The government argued the platforms had failed to locally register and comply with norms on grievance redressal. For the youths, however, the ban was a blow against freedom of expression in a direct sense. Protests quickly gathered pace. It had begun peacefully but became violent, killing 19 people and injuring over 400. Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli resigned, and the ban was removed.
But just as in Bangladesh, the social-media blackout was only the spark. Unresolved beneath it were deeper grievances: corruption scandals, unemployment, and a sense of an out-of-touch and accountable political class.
The Common Thread Across the Movements
Both crises highlight a few somber realities regarding South Asia’s youth:
- Demographic Pressure: Both Nepal and Bangladesh are young countries. They are both more than 60% under 30. It’s a “youth bulge,” and it’s both a dividend, a resource, and a destabilizer.
- Economic Strain: Lack of employment opportunities and overdependence on remittances are fueling frustration. Running thin on patience, the young want jobs at home, not just abroad.
- Distrust in Politics: These uprisings were independent and leaderless for the most part and autonomous of mainstream political parties. That’s a sign of both discontent and a desire for new leadership.
- Digital Assertion: Both uprisings were amplified and synchronized digitally. On social media in Dhaka, the message of meritocracy was propagated; in Kathmandu, it was the battlefield in question.
The Larger South Asian Lesson
The similarities between Nepal and Bangladesh are striking, but they are not unique. They are a symptom of a broader challenge for South Asia. South Asia encompasses close to 2 billion people, over half of whom are under the age of 30. Their ambitions are high, their tolerance low, and their instruments, from smartphones and social networks to Twitter and YouTube, unprecedentedly potent.
For the government, it is a warning and a lesson. The youth desire:
- Fairness – talent-rewarding rather than privilege-rewarding systems.
- Transparency – leaders who are accountable.
- Opportunities – home jobs, home skills, home dignity.
Ignoring these demands courts instability. Meeting them could unlock a wave of progress and innovation.
India’s Role in the Regional Youth Equation
Being the region’s largest democracy and economy, India cannot remain insensitive to such tremors. We are neighbours to Nepal and Bangladesh in every respect – we have borders, cultural interactions, and economic linkages. Turmoil in those regions shall have a reflection here. What’s more critical, though, is India’s chance to lead from the front: to show that youth-driven ambitions can be channelled towards nation-building rather than street revolts.
It means investment in education, enterprise, and employment, but also in listening more closely. Young people want to be heard, not dictated to.
A Hopeful Note for the Future
It was a tragedy that lives were lost in both Kathmandu and Dhaka. It would, though, be a larger tragedy if those sacrifices are not learned from. It’s a simple message: South Asia’s future is in its youth. The earlier we understand that, the earlier our region can convert demographic pressure into demographic power.
