Bangladesh bets on moderation

The coming to power of a moderate force like the BNP is in the interest of the country and the region.

Until a few years ago, the big fear in Nepal was that it could go the way of Sri Lanka, which in 2022 overthrew the Rajapaksa regime following an economic crisis and nationwide protests that it sparked. Then, in July 2024, a student-led movement in Bangladesh threw out the Sheikh Hasina government, as at least 1,400 people were killed in the violent protests. In September 2025, Nepal witnessed its own Gen Z revolt, which led to the ouster of the KP Oli government and the formation of an interim electoral government. By the time of the protests in Nepal, it had been over a year since the ouster of Hasina in Bangladesh. Yet the country on the Bay of Bengal appeared nowhere near prepared to hold elections. Many reckoned that Nepal too would struggle to hold timely elections. There was no political consensus on March 5 elections; the country’s security situation was fragile.