Nepal: Tension continues to flare in Bara for 2nd day, authorities clamp down curfew

Birgunj [Nepal], November 20 (ANI): Tension continued for the second consecutive day on Thursday in Bara District bordering the Indian state of Bihar as youths identifying themselves as Gen Zers returned to the streets a day after clashing with CPN-UML cadres.
Protestors continued to gather on the streets of Simara, clashing with the police since early this morning. Local authorities have imposed a curfew to contain the unrest starting from 1 to 8 PM (local Time).
"Curfew has been reimposed following the clash with the police to bring the situation under control," Assistant Chief District Officer Chhabiraman Subedi confirmed to ANI over the phone.
The agitated Gen Z protesters have accused police of failing to arrest individuals named in their complaint over yesterday's clash.
On November 19, six Gen Z supporters were injured, and the group lodged a complaint against six UML cadres over the confrontation at Simara Chowk, near the Simara airport.
The Police had yesterday detained Ward Chair Dhan Bahadur Shrestha of ward 2 of Jeetpursimara Sub-metropolitan City, and Ward Chair Kaimudin Ansari of ward six were arrested for the tension that flared from the day before.
The Police also fired teargas canisters after the confrontation escalated near Simara Airport, forcing the airport to halt operations.
Tension started from Wednesday after UML (Unified Marxist Leninist) leaders planned to come to the district ahead of the election scheduled for March 5, 2026. Experts have expressed worries about the security provided to hundreds of inmates on the loose with a similar number of weapons unaccounted for after it was looted during the September uprising.
Nepal is in political transition following the change in regime in September, when protests forced then Prime Minister and Chairman of UML KP Oli to step down from the post. The two-day protest left 76 people dead all across the nation.
After the fall of the Oli-led government new government was formed on 12th September under the leadership of former Chief Justice Sushila Karki, who, on the same day of appointment, recommended dissolving the parliament, calling for fresh elections.
President Ram Chandra Paudel, on the recommendation of Karki, had dissolved the parliament and called for the election on March 5, 2026. (ANI)