Image source, Getty Images

A lot has happened in the past few hours. Here's what you need to know:

• Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has resigned in response to spiralling anti-government protests across the country – saying he did so to pave way for a constitutional solution to the crisis
• Residences of several high profile politicians were attacked and vandalised, including those belonging to Oli and former prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba. Political party headquarters were also targeted

• Armed police fired tear gas in an attempt to push back protesters, as a growing number of young people took to the streets in Kathmandu and other parts of the country
• Minister for Water Supply Pradeep Yadav resigned in protest to the government's heavy-handed crackdown
• Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Ram Nath Adhikari and Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak also submitted their resignations
• Domestic flights at Kathmandu's Tribhuvan International Airport have "almost come to a standstill" due to security concerns, according to Nepal's aviation authority

Furious protests forced PM's handpublished at 11:02 British Summer Time

11:02 BST

Anbarasan Ethirajan
South Asia regional editor

With widening protests and no sign of public anger abating, Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli had little choice than to step down. He took over in July 2024, his fourth time in office, with the backing of the Nepali Congress Party.

The headquarters of the Nepali Congress and the houses of its leader have been vandalised as protesters defied an indefinite curfew in Kathmandu and beyond.

Many Nepalese are still in shock over how 19 people were killed in the protests against corruption and a social media ban on Monday. The unrest is the worst in decades for the Himalayan nation.

Though the protests were triggered by the social media ban, there has been widespread frustration with the government over the perceived lack of action to tackle corruption. Protesters are calling for accountability and reforms in governance.

Image source, Getty Images

There have been reports of protesters entering Singha Durbar and the Parliament building complex as of Tuesday afternoon.

Videos have been posted on social media showing the arson and vandalism of resigned Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli's house in Balakot, Bhaktapur. Various media outlets have also provided details of the arson.

Similarly, there have been reports of protesters vandalising the residence of Nepali Congress President and former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba in Budhanilkantha.

NP Saud, a Congress leader and former minister close to Deuba, told the BBC a few moments ago that he was aware that Deuba's residence had been vandalised and that efforts were being made to control the situation there.

Deuba's residence in Dhangadhi has also been targeted by protesters.

Agni Prasad Sapkota, spokesperson for the Maoist Center, said that he has received information that protesters are continuously throwing petrol bombs at the Khumaltar residence of Maoist Center Chairman and former Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal.

Earlier, there were reports of vandalism at the residences of Communications Minister Prithvi Subba Gurung, Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak, and Energy Minister Deepak Khadka.

Photos from the streets of Kathmandu show protesters feeling triumphant after the resignation of Nepal's Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli.

Oli announced his resignation on Tuesday afternoon local time as anti-government protests grew in size and ferocity across Nepal.

Image source, Rajneesh Bhandari/BBC

Image source, Rajneesh Bhandari/BBC

At least two people have died during Tuesday’s protests, Mohan Regmi, the executive director of Civil Service Hospital told BBC.

This brings to 21 the number of deaths in the protests, including the 19 fatalities from yesterday.

Ninety are currently being treated at the hospital, he added.

Charlotte Scarr
in Kathmandu

We are bringing you voices from the ground now.

Satish Mandal says he is protesting against corruption: "Nepal is being corrupted day by day.

"In every sector, especially in heath and education, corruption is increasing," the 26-year-old tells us.

“Students are being killed by police... We would like to request that the government of Nepal stands down," he says.

Image source, BBC/Charlotte Scarr

Footage from Nepal's capital shows smoke billowing over the rooftops as violent anti-government protests continue to spiral.

Protesters earlier set fire to several major buildings, including the homes of politicians.

A statement signed by Prime Minister Oli states that he has resigned to pave a way for the constitutional solution of the current crisis.

There were angry protests since early in the morning in capital Kathmandu and across Nepal.

Residences of several high profile politicians were attacked and vandalised, including those belonging to Oli and Former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba. Political party headquarters were also targeted.

Mohan Regmi, the executive director of Civil Service Hospital, told the BBC that two individuals died during Tuesday’s protest. He said 90 are currently being treated at the hospital.

Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has resigned, his secretariat has confirmed in a statement.

Domestic flights on the other hand have come to a standstill in Nepal as youth protests continue across the country.

Gyanendra Bhul, a spokesperson of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN), told the BBC's Nepali service: “As airports outside Nepal’s capital have not been able to ensure that they can provide security, domestic flights from Tribhuvan International Airport have ‘almost come to a standstill”.

In addition, five international flights are currently on hold as the southern route of Kathmandu Airport, Koteshwor-Kandagari-Balkot, has been extensively affecting visibility due to heavy smoke.

Bhul said, "Otherwise, there is no plan to close the airport for security and administrative reasons. But flights have been affected."

Kathmandu's Tribhuvan International airport has been partially closed due to violent protests affecting operations, according to Reuters and local media, who cited Nepal's aviation authority.

We are trying to confirm this for ourselves, and will let you know as soon as we do.

Protests have intensified across Nepal, defying a curfew that was put in place after 19 people were killed in clashes between police and protesters on Monday. These pictures show how the unrest has escalated.

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

Image source, BBC/Prakash Parki

Gavin Butler
Live reporter

Image source, Getty Images

There's a good reason why the government's abortive attempt to ban social media has struck such a nerve in Nepal: the country has one of South Asia's highest rates of social media users per capita.

Nepal was home to 14.3 million social media user identities in January 2025 – equating to 48.1% of the total population – according to DataReportal's latest report. For comparison, active social media users in neighbouring India made up just 33.7% of the population.

And uptake has been growing.

The total number of social media user identities in Nepal increased by 750,000 (5.6%) between early 2024 and the beginning of 2025, according to analysis by Kepios.

Facebook is by far the most popular platform, with 14.3 million users as of early 2025, followed by Instagram (3.9 million) and LinkedIn (2.0 million).

There are several factors that likely contribute to the popularity of social media in Nepal.

More than three quarters of Nepal's population (77.4%) live in rural areas, and the country's challenging, mountainous terrain means many communities are geographically isolated from one another. Moreover, a large portion of the country's population works or studies abroad.

The median age of Nepal’s population is also about 25 – squarely in the middle of the age group that is typically most active on social media.

Gavin Butler
Live reporter

Image source, Getty Images

The unemployment rate for youth aged 15-24 in Nepal was 20.8% in 2024, according to the World Bank – with many people forced to migrate overseas for jobs. More than a third (33.1%) of Nepal’s GDP, meanwhile, came from personal remittances.

Addressing the current protests, Nepali Congress leader and former Foreign Minister NP Saud did not deny the problems of corruption and nepotism raised by the youth uprising.

"This has been an important issue in Nepali politics for a long time," he said. "But it should be resolved in accordance with the law, the constitution, and by completing the legal process."

Pradeep Gyawali, leader of the Communist Party of Nepal and former foreign minister, said alleged cases of nepotism should be addressed on a case-by-case basis.

"The law of the country does not say that even if they are qualified, they should be deprived of opportunities just because they are the children of leaders," he said.

"If, as they say, it was done through improper protection or encouragement, it can be discussed 'case-wise'. In this case, it can be said that a certain leader, family, or child benefited. But I don't think that is the general situation."

Charlotte Scarr
in Kathmandu

Image source, Reuters

Tear gas is being fired as armed police attempt to push back protesters who have gathered outside Nepal’s parliament building in the capital, Kathmandu.

In the last few hours, the number of young people taking to the streets has grown in size.

They continue to shout slogans, including “against police atrocities” and “everyone suffers because of the prime minister.”

The exterior of the Survey Department's building has been set on fire with smoke clouds filling the surrounding area.

Several motorbikes carrying injured people have driven through the crowds trying to reach the nearest hospital. One young man was draped across the back of the bike with a significant wound on his leg.

Gavin Butler
Live reporter

Image source, Getty Images

These nationwide protests, spearheaded by Generation Z, are largely taking aim at a specific cohort: "nepo kids".

The children of wealthy politicians and powerful figures – apparent beneficiaries of nepotism – are being widely condemned, with protesters accusing them of flaunting their luxury possessions, expensive vacations and overall lavish lifestyles on social media.

For many, these brazen displays of wealth and privilege highlight disparities between Nepal's rich and poor – as well as systemic corruption, which protesters claim is funding many nepo kids' lifestyles.

“Nepo Kids show off their lifestyle on Instagram and TikTok, but never explain where the money comes from,” one TikTok user said in a widely shared video.

Meanwhile, the #Nepo Kids hashtag has soared to the top of social media trends.

Minister for Water Supply Pradeep Yadav has also submitted his resignation.

In it, he expressed "support for the Gen Z youths in opposing the repression carried out by the government".

“Dear young brothers and sisters, you are my first companions and the source of my energy. I appeal to everyone to remain calm and to guide and support the youth in the right direction," Yadav wrote, as reported by The Kathmandu Post.

He is the third minister to resign from his post since the protests broke out on Monday.

Ashok Dahal
BBC Nepali

Image source, Ram Nath Adhikari's Facebook

Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Ram Nath Adhikari has resigned, citing dissatisfaction over how authorities have engaged with the protesters.

"I am shocked to learn that in a democracy, instead of accepting that asking questions and peacefully protesting is a natural right of citizens, we are moving towards a dictatorship rather than a democracy with widespread repression, killings, and use of force," he told BBC Nepali.

"How did a generation that should have collaborated to build the country end up being treated like a war? It was not acceptable for me to remain in power without finding answers to this."

Earlier on Monday, Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak also submitted his resignation following intense criticism over his administration's use of force during the protests.

The government has said social media platforms need to be regulated to tackle fake news, hate speech and online fraud.

But popular platforms such as Instagram have millions of users in Nepal, who rely on them for entertainment, news and business.

Thousands of young people stormed parliament in the capital Kathmandu on Monday, and demonstrators carried placards with slogans including "enough is enough" and "end to corruption".

Some said they were protesting against what they called the authoritarian attitude of the government.

At least 19 people have been killed and dozens injured amid clashes between protesters and security forces, with the latter using water cannons and batons and firing rubber bullets.

Protests erupted in Nepal after the government last week moved to ban 26 social media platforms, including Facebook and YouTube. But that was just the catalyst.

In the weeks before the ban, a "nepo kid" campaign, spotlighting the lavish lifestyles of politicians' children and allegations of corruption, had taken off on social media.

While the current protests have taken aim at the social media ban – and forced the government to repeal it – they're also channeling a much wider, deeper dissatisfaction with the country's authorities.

Sabana Budathoki told the BBC that the social media ban was "just the reason" they gathered.

"Rather than [the] social media ban, I think everyone's focus is on corruption," she explained, adding: "We want our country back - we came to stop corruption."

Another protester said the ban was to "silence" their voices, so they came to "raise" their voices against that, which they will continue until it brings change.