Birgunj: Nepal is witnessing a new wave of unrest in Birgunj. It is a city near the India–Nepal border, where authorities have imposed a curfew in the area to prevent the tensions from escalating into a wider conflict. The fresh wave of unrest began after a TikTok video sparked religious tensions between groups in the region, which led to protests and clashes.
According to reports, the border with India has been sealed, and the Parsa District Administration Office (DAO) in Birgunj initially issued a prohibitory order on Monday covering evening to early morning hours, but as unrest persisted, the curfew was extended. According to the DAO order, the previous curfew “from 6:00 pm to 8:00 am … in view of the latest security situation, has been continued … until 1:00 PM, prohibiting anyone from moving within those boundaries, holding any kind of gathering, procession, demonstration, meeting, or siege.” Authorities emphasised the seriousness of the situation by warning that “during the curfew, security personnel are allowed to shoot on sight, so it is requested that you do not step out of your home except for essential purposes, and if you do need to step out, coordinate with the nearest security personnel or call 100.”
Under the order, the DAO designated specific sectors of Birgunj, Bus Park, Nagwa, Inarwa (East), Sirsia River (West), Gandak Chowk (North), and Shankaracharya Gate (South) are the areas under strict curfew enforcement. Essential services such as ambulances, fire engines, health workers, media personnel, tourists, and diplomatic vehicles were excluded from restrictions.
Birgunj: The new unrest began over a TikTok video
Curfew has been imposed because the unrest was triggered when two youths, Haider Ansari and Amanat Ansari, posted a video on TikTok in Janakpur’s Dhanusha district, according to locals the video had hurt religious sentiments. Following the social media post, authorities were alerted and the two young men were detained by police. The situation worsened further when a mosque in ward 6 of Kamala Municipality was vandalised, due to which protests started in Birgunj. Protesters took to the streets, burnt tyres, and chanted slogans.
The area has been put under high security to prevent the clashes between the two communities, as security forces have been put on high alert as the city is located near the Indian border.
