‘Shoot on sight, meetings banned’: What happened in Nepal that led to curfew, protests
While a prohibitory order was already in place, the two groups held simultaneous protests defying the order, prompting authorities to impose curfew which was in place until 1 pm (local time) on Tuesday, January 6.
CURFEW was imposed in Birgunj city by the Parsa District Administration in southern Nepal after members of Hindu and Muslim groups protested against each other after vandalism of a mosque, news agency AP quoted officials as saying.
The vandalism happened over the weekend.
During the protest, no person will be allowed to roam the streets. All demonstrations, meetings and gatherings have also been banned. The curfew notice also mentioned that anybody violating the curfew rules would be “shot” by the security forces.
The ‘shoot on sight’ order
While a prohibitory order was already in place, the two groups held simultaneous protests defying the order, prompting authorities to impose a curfew, which was in place until 1 pm (local time) on Tuesday, January 6.
The latest curfew order said, “The curfew order issued yesterday, 2082.09.21 (2026.01.05) from 6:00 PM to 8:00 AM on 2082.09.22 (2026.01.06), in view of the latest security situation, has been continued in the following four forts within the Birgunj Metropolitan City area of Parsa district, as per Section 6 (a) of the Local Administration Act, 2028, from today, 2082.09.22 (2026.01.06), until 1:00 PM, prohibiting anyone from moving within those boundaries, holding any kind of gathering, procession, demonstration, meeting, or siege.”
The administration also warned the Nepalese people that the security personnel could shoot on sight if restrictions are violated.
It said, “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.”
What happened in Nepal?
The protests started in Birgunj, 130 km (80 miles) south of Kathmandu, after vandalism was reported at a mosque in a nearby town. Following the protests by the Muslim groups, a Hindu group also reportedly demonstrated. The protests have since continued.
There have been no major clashes between the two groups and no major injuries noted, with only scuffles with riot police reported.
Clashes between Hindus and Muslims are rare in the predominantly Hindu nation of Nepal, where the Muslim population is found mostly in border regions in the southern part of the country.
