The Himalayan country of Nepal has been thrown into unprecedented political unrest. What started as growing frustration among the youth has now exploded into widespread chaos. Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli was forced to resign after one of the deadliest crackdowns in years that left 19 young protesters dead. His resignation, instead of calming the nation, has only added to the turmoil.

The anger of the people has spilled into the streets. Oli’s Bhaktapur residence was set ablaze, and mobs vandalised the homes of two former prime ministers, Pushpa Kamal Dahal “Prachanda” and Sher Bahadur Deuba. The unrest grew so intense that three of Oli’s ministers were also compelled to step down.

Speculation is rife that Oli himself is preparing to escape. Reports suggest that he may fly out, possibly to Dubai under the guise of medical treatment, with Himalaya Airlines kept on standby to facilitate his departure.

For seasoned watchers of South Asian politics, the situation feels eerily familiar. They have seen this same script unfold before—governments collapsing under the weight of youth-led protests, official residences set on fire, and once-powerful leaders forced into humiliating exits. After Sri Lanka in 2022 and Bangladesh in 2024, Nepal appears to have become the third act in this turbulent South Asian trilogy.

From Colombo’s Fall to Dhaka’s Revolt and Now Kathmandu

In July 2022, Sri Lanka witnessed one of the most dramatic uprisings in its history. Protesters stormed President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s official residence in Colombo, forcing him to flee for safety. The world watched in awe as ordinary citizens swam in his pool and cooked meals in his kitchen. On that same day, the private residence of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was also set on fire. Both men were forced to resign, marking the downfall of a once-dominant political dynasty. The “Aragalaya,” or struggle movement, emerged as the symbol of Sri Lanka’s collapse, driven by bankruptcy and frustration.

Two years later, in August 2024, Bangladesh erupted in what came to be known as the “Bangla Spring.” What began as student protests against a controversial job quota system quickly escalated into nationwide violence. On August 5, jubilant protesters waving flags, chanting slogans, and even dancing atop captured tanks stormed Sheikh Hasina’s official residence. By then, the long-serving prime minister had already fled.

Army Chief Waker uz Zaman confirmed her resignation and announced that an interim government would assume control. Reports later revealed that Hasina’s helicopter landed in Agartala, India, after New Delhi gave her emergency entry. The symbolism of her fall was striking—protesters looted her residence, carrying off sarees, utensils, and other personal belongings, calling it the “reclaiming” of the palace from which “illegal orders to murder citizens” were issued.

The uprising’s scale was staggering. On a single day—Sunday, August 5—91 people were killed, making it the bloodiest day of the movement. By the beginning of August, the death toll had already reached at least 300 people since the protests began in July.

During the chaos, Hasina’s son Sajeeb Wazed Joy, based in the United States, made desperate pleas online. “You must keep our people and country safe and uphold the constitution,” he urged the security forces through Facebook. But just as in 2007, the army chose to “stand by the people”, paving the way for her 15-year rule to collapse.

Now, in 2025, the same scenes are being replayed in Kathmandu. Protesters have once again taken to torching leaders’ homes, breaking curfews, and filling the streets with slogans against corruption and authoritarianism. KP Sharma Oli, who only months ago seemed firmly in control, now stands cornered in the same way that Rajapaksa and Hasina once did.

The Rising Power of Youth Across South Asia

Behind all these uprisings lies one undeniable force: the restless and determined younger generation. In Sri Lanka, the Aragalaya movement was led largely by students and unemployed graduates. In Bangladesh, it was university students and job seekers who spearheaded the protests, enraged by a quota system they saw as both corrupt and unjust.

In Nepal, it is **Gen Z—who make up nearly 43% of the country’s population—**that is now driving the protests. These young people have ignored curfews, defied police crackdowns, and risked their lives to make their voices heard.

While their immediate demands differ, the root causes are the same across all three nations: unemployment, inequality, corruption, and a deep sense of betrayal by political elites who promised change but delivered little. Social media has acted as both the spark and the fuel for these movements. In Nepal, Oli’s attempt to ban platforms like Facebook and YouTube backfired, further inflaming anger—just as online mobilisation in Bangladesh had amplified Sheikh Hasina’s downfall.

This wave of youth-driven revolts shows how connected, determined, and fearless the new generation has become. For South Asia’s aging political elite, the message is clear: ignore them at your own peril.

A Script Too Familiar to Ignore

What makes the unfolding events in South Asia appear less like random uprisings and more like carefully steered operations is the almost identical sequence in which they have taken place. In Sri Lanka, the trigger was an economic bankruptcy. In Bangladesh, it was the controversial job quota system. And in Nepal, it was the sudden ban on social media. Each of these crises sparked a youth-led revolt—whether it was Sri Lanka’s Aragalaya, Bangladesh’s Bangla Spring, or Nepal’s ongoing Gen Z protests.

The outcomes in all three nations have been strikingly similar. The presidential palace was stormed in Colombo, Sheikh Hasina’s residence ransacked in Dhaka, and KP Sharma Oli’s home torched in Bhaktapur. These spectacles of overthrow have become defining moments for their respective countries.

Global players have also amplified these stories. International NGOs, rights groups, and global media seized the spotlight, repeatedly highlighting state brutality and thus adding momentum to the protests. And eventually, each crisis ended in the same way: a leader on the run. Rajapaksa fled abroad, Hasina is forced into exile in India, and Oli is now preparing to depart for Dubai.

The repetition is too consistent to be brushed aside as mere coincidence. It gives the appearance of a regional playbook of managed chaos—where authentic grievances are exploited, unrest is accelerated, and ruling powers are toppled in ways that end up reshaping the balance of power in South Asia.

Nepal at the Geopolitical Crossroads

For Nepal, the stakes are far more delicate and complex. Unlike Sri Lanka with its maritime location or Bangladesh with its industrial strength, Nepal stands as a Himalayan buffer caught between two powerful neighbors: India and China. Over the years, Beijing has courted Oli with Belt and Road projects, while India has traditionally considered Nepal part of its natural security perimeter. On top of that, Washington views Nepal as a potential foothold to counter China’s growing influence.

This is why Oli’s fall cannot be seen merely as the result of misrule or governance failures. It represents something much bigger—an opening for external powers to tilt Nepal’s alignment at a critical time. The very speed and violence of his ouster suggest a larger geopolitical script is being written, with Nepal’s Himalayan landscape serving as the theatre for this global rivalry.

India’s Vigilance Against Hidden Insurrectionists

The resignation of Oli, and his likely escape abroad, does not bring closure. Instead, it signals the beginning of a dangerous chapter. Political rivals are already maneuvering to seize power, but the deep structural problems of unemployment, corruption, and inequality remain unsolved. Unless these issues are addressed head-on, Nepal could slip into prolonged instability.

The comparison to Bangladesh is telling. There, the downfall of Sheikh Hasina left a dangerous vacuum. Islamists have taken hold of power, while minorities are being subjected to unspeakable atrocities. Nepal could walk the same path if corrective steps are not urgently taken.

For India, the warning is direct and undeniable. It has already watched Sri Lanka drift closer to Chinese influence and Bangladesh collapse into chaos. Now, with Nepal—its closest Himalayan neighbor—on the edge, New Delhi cannot afford to remain passive. Failure to act decisively risks leaving the field open to Beijing and Western-backed interests, just as was seen in Dhaka.

The timeline tells the story clearly: from Colombo in 2022, to Dhaka in 2024, and now Kathmandu in 2025, South Asia has experienced three uprisings with eerie similarity. Leaders who once seemed untouchable have fled in disgrace, official residences have been stormed or set ablaze, and the anger of the youth has been the battering ram for regime change.

The world may celebrate these upheavals as democratic revolutions. But for the region itself, they amount to repeated cycles of instability and externally influenced transitions of power. Nepal’s crisis is not a standalone tragedy; it is the most recent chapter in a growing pattern of managed chaos gripping South Asia.

The déjà vu is unmistakable. The urgent question now is whether Nepal—and perhaps much of South Asia, including India—can break free from the trap of being used as pawns in someone else’s geopolitical game.