Fresh unrest in Nepal? Border area near India placed under curfew — what triggered it

NEW DELHI: A TikTok video in Nepal's Birgunj triggered religious tension, prompting the Parsa District Administration Office to extend an ongoing curfew.

The prohibitory order had been issued on Monday, but both groups involved in the dispute held simultaneous demonstrations in defiance of it, leading authorities to enforce a full curfew to restore order.

The district administration office (DAO) in Parsa imposed a curfew in Birgunj on Monday from 6pm (January 5) to 8am (January 6). With tensions still high and the threat persisting, authorities have extended the curfew until 1pm on Tuesday.


"The curfew order issued yesterday, 2082.09.21 (2026.01.05) from 6:00pm to 8:00am 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, meeting, or siege," the latest order said.

The administration designated Bus Park, Nagwa, Inarwa (East), Sirsia River (West), Gandak Chowk (North), and Shankaracharya Gate (South) as the four pillars under the curfew.

"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," the order warned. Authorities added that movement of essential service vehicles, ambulances, fire engines, health workers, media personnel, tourists, and vehicles of diplomatic missions would be allowed.

The unrest in Birgunj, near the Indian state of Bihar, erupted on Sunday after a dispute between two groups was triggered by a TikTok video originating from Dhanusha’s Kamala Municipality. Two youths, Haider Ansari and Amanat Ansari, had uploaded a video in Janakpur, Dhanusha, which locals said hurt religious sentiments, leading to their handover to the police.

Tensions escalated after a mosque in ward 6 of Kamala Municipality was vandalized. Demonstrators in Birgunj protested by staging rallies, burning tyres, and chanting slogans. The unrest, initially confined to Dhanusha and Parsa, spread via TikTok, with both sides taking to the streets over religious and communal concerns.