Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and now Nepal: When protests toppled leaders in India’s neighbourhood

Protests have claimed yet another leader in India’s neighbourhood.

First, it was Sri Lanka’s then President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who was ousted in July 2022 and fled the country for Singapore. Then, it was Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in Bangladesh in August 2024, who left for India.

Now, KP Sharma Oli in Nepal has resigned as Prime Minister after the uprising known as the ‘Gen Z’ protests that began on Monday. Oli said he was resigning in order “to facilitate a solution to the problem and to help resolve it politically.”

Protests across Nepal continued on Tuesday with demonstrators storming the parliament complex and setting it ablaze and targeting the houses of senior government officials, including now-former Prime Minister Oli.

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This came after at least 19 people were killed and hundreds injured on Monday, when thousands took to the streets to protest Nepal’s ban on over two dozen social media apps, as well as government corruption, wealth inequality, and lack of job opportunities.

Follow all live updates on Nepal's Gen Z protests here.

Let’s take a closer look.

Sri Lanka

In mid-2022, Sri Lanka was in the grip of an economic crisis, arguably its worst ever. Since March that year, the country had been experiencing shortages of food, fuel, and medicine. Inflation was skyrocketing, electricity cuts were widespread, and the currency had been sharply devalued.

At the helm were two powerful brothers from the Rajapaksa family – Mahinda Rajapaksa as Prime Minister and Gotabaya Rajapaksa as President. Gotabaya, who came to power in 2019, had consolidated executive authority to an unprecedented degree.

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Public anger was directed at the government for mishandling the economy – much of which relied on tourism and had been devastated by the Covid-19 pandemic and the 2019 Easter bombings – as well as endemic corruption. The country was on the verge of bankruptcy and had already defaulted on its $51 billion sovereign debt.

Thousands of people from across ethnic and class lines took to the streets daily. In Colombo, a massive protest camp was set up outside the president’s office. Many socialist student groups were at the forefront.

Gotabaya clung to power for months amid chants of “Gota go home.” He imposed states of emergency, declared curfews, and deployed troops, while security forces beat and arrested protesters.

Violence escalated in May. Around 200 people were injured in Colombo after pro-government demonstrators attacked protesters. Police deployed water cannons and tear gas. Elsewhere, two government MPs were accused of firing on protesters. Mahinda’s home was set ablaze, as were the residences of other pro-Rajapaksa politicians.

The entire Cabinet, barring Gotabaya, resigned. With lawmakers walking out of his coalition and leaving it in a minority, Gotabaya declared another state of emergency. Attempts to form a unity government failed as opposition parties refused his overtures.

Gotabaya appointed Ranil Wickremesinghe as Prime Minister, his sixth stint in the role. Wickremesinghe was seen as a steadying hand, nicknamed “the fox” for his political resilience. But the turmoil continued.

In July, protesters stormed the heavily guarded presidential palace. Images showed demonstrators swimming in the pool, rummaging through Gotabaya’s personal belongings, and even using his bathroom. Fortunately, he had already vacated the residence. Protesters also set fire to the Prime Minister’s house.

Days later, Gotabaya fled to the Maldives and then Singapore, where he resigned. Wickremesinghe first became acting president before being formally elected to the post. He was succeeded by Anura Kumara Dissanayake in 2024.

Bangladesh

In 2024, Sheikh Hasina had been in power in Bangladesh for nearly 15 years. Her father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the “father of Bangladesh,” was a towering figure in the country’s history. Hasina won her fourth straight term in January 2024, though critics pointed to a crackdown on the opposition.

But her long hold on power unraveled within months. It began with massive student protests against a controversial quota system, which reserved 30 percent of government jobs for relatives of veterans of the 1971 War of Independence. Though the scheme had been scrapped in 2018, the Supreme Court reinstated it.

In July 2024, authorities brutally cracked down on student protests. Thousands were arrested, and allegations of torture and killings surfaced. But instead of dying down, demonstrations grew into a broader anti-government movement. Protesters’ demand was simple: Hasina must resign.

The Hasina government escalated repression. Over 300 people, including several police officers, were reportedly killed. The breaking point came on August 4 during a high-stakes meeting at the prime minister’s official residence.

Initially defiant, Hasina even suggested the army should confront the protesters directly. But the army reportedly refused. On the morning of August 5, Hasina was told that security forces could no longer hold back the crowds. Her sister, Sheikh Rehana, pleaded with her to resign, but she refused until her son, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, insisted.

That day, Hasina resigned and fled to India via helicopter. Army chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman confirmed her resignation and announced an interim government. Parliament was dissolved the next day. Nobel Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus was appointed to head the interim administration.

Hasina remains in India, despite Bangladesh’s demands for her return.

Nepal

KP Sharma Oli returned as Prime Minister in July 2024, after his party withdrew from the previous coalition government and the administration collapsed. His government was plagued by instability, but the tipping point came in late August 2025, when it banned more than two dozen platforms including Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

The move outraged many, particularly young people. Already frustrated with corruption, inequality, and a lack of opportunity, they saw the ban as the last straw. On Monday, thousands of protesters poured into the streets of Kathmandu and beyond. Many wore school uniforms and carried books, leading the movement to be dubbed a “Gen Z uprising.”

Security forces cracked down harshly. Eyewitnesses reported police firing live ammunition, in addition to rubber bullets and tear gas. By day’s end, at least 19 people were killed and hundreds wounded.

Although Oli’s government quickly reversed the social media ban in an attempt to ease tensions, the unrest continued. That evening, Home Minister Ramesh Lal Lekhak resigned, followed by Water Supply Minister Pradeep Yadav the next day.

On Tuesday, protesters stormed parliament and set the building on fire. The homes of several senior leaders, including Oli’s residence and that of former Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal (“Prachanda”), were also attacked. Authorities imposed curfews and banned public gatherings, but security forces appeared reluctant to use lethal force.

Facing pressure from both the opposition and his own coalition, Oli announced his resignation. Reports suggest he may be preparing to leave for Dubai by private jet.

With inputs from agencies