Youth-Led Unrest Sweeps South Asia Amid Broken Governance and Economic Strains

Hadisur Rahman, JadeTimes Staff

H. Rahman is a Jadetimes news reporter covering Asia

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Image Source: AFP/Getty Images

Three years after Sri Lankans stormed their presidential palace, mass protests have erupted across South Asia, toppling governments in Bangladesh and sparking violent youth-led movements in Nepal. Analysts say the region’s upheavals share common roots: ineffective governance, corruption, and a young population unwilling to tolerate misrule.

In Nepal, a Generation Z-driven uprising saw the country’s parliamentary estate set ablaze, leaving at least 72 dead and Prime Minister KP Oli’s administration in tatters. Observers attribute the unrest to long-standing frustrations over fragile coalitions, corruption scandals, and the privileges of political elites’ children, dubbed “nepokids.” The government’s sudden social media ban only intensified public anger.

Bangladesh experienced a similar shock last year when protests forced Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to flee after years of high inflation, unemployment, and democratic backsliding. While her interim government promises elections and reforms, political divisions have hampered progress.

Sri Lanka’s 2022 crisis followed a financial meltdown and the Rajapaksa family’s extended rule, with mass protests fueled by inflation, fuel shortages, and power blackouts, ultimately forcing both the prime minister and president to resign.

Experts note that external actors played little role in these uprisings. “Any country featuring similar socioeconomic and governance conditions would be at higher risk,” says Derek Grossman, professor of international relations at the University of Southern California. Analysts caution that suppressing dissent with force or draconian bans only exacerbates unrest.

What makes the latest wave distinctive is its generational character. Gen Z and Gen Alpha are demanding transparency, accountability, and open-data governance. “Ignore these tremors at your peril,” warns Komal Aryal, a lecturer in crisis management. Countries like Pakistan and the Maldives, facing economic fragility and political polarization, may be at the highest risk of similar upheaval, while India remains comparatively stable but not immune to the lessons of its neighbors.

The recent unrest across Colombo, Dhaka, and Kathmandu signals a seismic shift: governments failing to engage digitally savvy youth may find themselves blindsided by the next wave of popular uprising.