From Sri Lanka’s Aragalaya to Nepal’s Gen Z Revolution

In the past three years, South Asia has witnessed a series of explosive youth-led protests that have toppled entrenched leaders and exposed deep systemic failures. Starting with Sri Lanka’s 2022 economic meltdown, followed by Bangladesh’s 2024 quota reform movement, and now Nepal’s 2025 Gen Z uprising, these movements share striking parallels: frustration with corruption, economic inequality, and elite privilege, amplified by digital mobilization. Each began with a specific trigger but quickly escalated into demands for regime change, resulting in the ouster of presidents and prime ministers. Yet, while these uprisings highlight the power of collective action, they also underscore the necessity of addressing root causes to prevent recurring instability in the region.

Sri Lanka’s Aragalaya:

The Economic Spark of 2022 Sri Lanka’s crisis erupted in March 2022 amid the worst economic downturn since independence in 1948. Foreign reserves plummeted to $1.9 billion, insufficient to cover $4 billion in debt repayments, leading to a historic default in April. Inflation soared to 70%, fuel and food shortages triggered power blackouts, and the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated import reliance.

The government’s ill-fated organic farming push, banning chemical fertilizers, slashed crop yields by 50%, worsening food scarcity. The Struggle united diverse groups Sinhalese, Tamils, Muslims from all classes, camping at Galle Face Green in Colombo. They stormed the presidential palace, swimming in its pool as a symbol of defiance.

Demands targeted the Rajapaksa family’s nepotism: brothers Gotabaya (president) and Mahinda (prime minister) were accused of corruption in deals like the 2017 Nepal Airlines scandal and amassing wealth amid poverty. Youth, facing 5.7% unemployment rising to 8.3% under austerity, led the charge. Violence peaked on July 9, with clashes killing several. Gotabaya fled to the Maldives on July 13, resigning days later; Mahinda had quit in May.

Ranil Wickremesinghe became president, securing a $3 billion IMF bailout with tax hikes and reforms. By 2024, modest growth returned, but protests’ legacy—delayed elections and human rights concerns lingers.

Bangladesh’s July Revolution:

Quotas to Ouster in 2024 Bangladesh’s unrest ignited in June 2024 when the High Court reinstated a 30% civil service quota for 1971 Liberation War descendants, reversing a 2018 abolition.With 18 million youth unemployed and jobs seen as rigged for Awami League loyalists, students viewed it as nepotism favoring elites. The Supreme Court later capped it at 5%, but protests had escalated.

Organized by Students Against Discrimination, the movement—dubbed the July Revolution—drew women, workers, and diverse groups, demanding Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s resignation after 15 years of authoritarian rule.

Police and Chhatra League (ruling party’s student wing) attacked protesters, killing over 1,400, including 12-13% children, via extrajudicial shootings and arbitrary arrests of 11,700. Iconic cases like Abu Sayed’s shotgun death on July 16 symbolized brutality.

By August 4, 135 died in one day; Hasina fled to India on August 5 amid a “Long March to Dhaka.” An interim government under Muhammad Yunus formed, with student leaders influencing policy. The uprising exposed corruption, economic woes (despite 6% growth, inequality festered), and censorship, including an 11-day internet blackout.

Nepal’s Gen Z Fury:

Social Media Ban Ignites 2025 Unrest In September 2025, Nepal’s protests erupted after the government banned 26 platforms—Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube, etc.—on September 4 for non-registration under new rules, seen as censorship to curb a “Nepo Kids” TikTok trend exposing politicians’ lavish lifestyles amid $1,400 per capita income. With 90% internet penetration and 14.3 million users, the ban disrupted education and business for Gen Z (median age 25).

Organized by NGOs like Hami Nepal, thousands rallied on September 8 against corruption, 22% youth unemployment, and 13 governments’ failures since 2008. Clashes killed 19 (rising to 22), injuring hundreds; police used live ammo, tear gas, and rubber bullets. Protesters stormed Parliament, torching it, the Supreme Court, and leaders’ homes, defying curfews. Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli resigned on September 9, citing a “political solution”; four ministers followed.

The ban lifted, but demands persist: dissolve Parliament, new elections, anti-corruption probes. The Army deployed, airport closed; India issued travel advisories. President Ram Chandra Paudel called for dialogue with Gen Z leaders.

 A Regional Pattern of Youth-Led Revolt These uprisings form a trilogy of South Asian discontent, driven by shared grievances:

• Youth and Digital Mobilization: Gen Z and students spearheaded all, using social media for coordination. Sri Lanka’s Aragalaya spread via Facebook; Bangladesh’s via WhatsApp despite blackouts; Nepal’s via VPNs post-ban.
• High youth populations (Nepal’s median 25; Bangladesh’s 25%) and unemployment (Sri Lanka 8.3%, Bangladesh 18M jobless, Nepal 22%) fueled rage.
• Corruption and Nepotism as Core Issues: Elites’ privilege—Rajapaksas’ wealth, Hasina’s quotas for loyalists, Nepal’s “Nepo Kids”—contrasted public hardship. All ranked low on Transparency International (Sri Lanka 101st/180, Nepal 107th).
• Protests targeted family dynasties and unfulfilled promises.
• Escalation from Specific Triggers to Systemic Demands: A policy misstep (Sri Lanka’s farming ban, Bangladesh’s quota reinstatement, Nepal’s media ban) ignited broader calls for “system change.”
• Peaceful rallies turned violent via state crackdowns, killing hundreds (Sri Lanka dozens, Bangladesh 1,400, Nepal 22).
• Regime Collapse and Interim Transitions: Leaders fled or resigned (Gotabaya to Maldives, Hasina to India, Oli’s exit). IMF aid followed Sri Lanka; Yunus interim in Bangladesh; Nepal eyes coalition or youth-inclusive government.

These protests are not mere outbursts but essential responses to governance failures in fragile democracies. They expose how corruption erodes trust: Sri Lanka’s debt ballooned to 101% GDP via tax cuts and loans; Bangladesh’s quotas perpetuated inequality; Nepal’s elite flaunted wealth amid poverty.

Youth, bearing the brunt (brain drain, joblessness), demand meritocracy over patronage. Uprisings force accountability, as seen in Sri Lanka’s reforms and Bangladesh’s quota cap. They amplify marginalized voices—women in Bangladesh, diverse groups in Sri Lanka—fostering unity.

Without them, rot festers: Hasina’s 15-year rule bred repression; Oli’s coalitions recycled corruption. Yet, necessity breeds caution. Violence (UN-condemned in all) risks chaos; Nepal’s airport closure echoes Bangladesh’s blackouts.

Success requires channeling energy into inclusive reforms—anti-corruption laws, youth quotas in governance—to build resilient systems. Conclusion: A Call for Enduring Change From Colombo’s streets to Kathmandu’s flames, these youth revolutions signal South Asia’s awakening. They toppled dynasties but left economies scarred and politics fractured. For Nepal, emulating Bangladesh’s swift interim stability or Sri Lanka’s IMF recovery could stabilize it faster, but only if leaders heed Gen Z’s cry: end elite capture, ensure jobs and justice.

These uprisings are necessary warnings—democracy thrives on accountability, or it crumbles under youth’s justified fury. The region must learn, lest the cycle repeats.