Nepal: 'Shot like enemies'

Nepal has just held a historic election — one that has toppled the old political guard and swept a new generation of leaders into power, many backed by Gen-Z voters.

The elections were called after young people took to the streets to protest against corruption and a political class which was slow to change.

But the protest of 8 September 2025 got out of hand and the police struggled to maintain order. It resulted in the death of 19 young protesters. The following day, more protests led to the fall of the government.

Drawing on more than 4000 videos filmed on the streets, testimony from police and protesters and an exclusive leaked record of police radio, Subina Shrestha reveals how Nepali authorities lost control of this protest. And ask - did Nepal’s police, army and politicians fail a generation desperate for change?

This was an investigation for BBC Eye and Assignment.

Producer: Charlotte McDonald
Sound engineer: Andy Fell
Production co-ordinator: Katie Morrison
Editor: Penny Murphy

(Photo: Gen Z protesters clash with police after breaking barricades outside the parliament house at the Federal Parliament in Kathmandu, Nepal, on 8 September, 2025. Credit: Safal Prakash Shrestha/Getty Images)