A sharp surge in unrest has gripped parts of southern Nepal after a mosque was vandalised and violent protests broke out, prompting authorities to impose a curfew in Birgunj and India to completely seal the border with Nepal.
The trouble began in Parsa district following the circulation of a video on social media attributed to two Muslim men from Kamala Municipality in Dhanusha district. The clip was widely perceived as offensive to religious sentiments, sparking immediate outrage among local communities.
Locals detained the two men identified as Haider Ansari and Amanat Ansari and handed them over to police, saying the viral footage threatened communal harmony. Despite their arrest, tensions escalated when a mosque in Sakhuwa Maran area was vandalised, leading to large demonstrations.
As protests intensified, demonstrators began throwing stones at police and attacking public property, including a local police station. Security forces responded with crowd-control measures, firing tear gas in an effort to contain the unrest.
Facing deteriorating law-and-order conditions, the Parsa district administration declared a curfew in Birgunj, which lies close to the Indian border town of Raxaul in Bihar. Security agencies said forces were on high alert to prevent violence from spreading further.
In response to the escalating situation, Indian security forces have sealed the India-Nepal border, halting all routine cross-border movement. Only emergency services are being allowed to operate, while thorough checks are being carried out at key crossing points such as the Maitri Bridge. The Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) and other agencies have deployed additional personnel and dog squads to monitor the border and deter any attempts to breach security.
Patrols have also been stepped up at other nearby checkpoints including Sahadewa, Mahadewa, Pantoka, Siwan Tola, and Musharwa. Officials say every individual crossing the frontier is being closely screened.
Amid the unrest, Indian migrant workers in Nepal have begun returning home. With shops and markets in Birgunj reportedly shut down, many Indians say they see little choice but to travel back until the situation stabilises.
“I will return to work once things are normalised,” one migrant worker, Rakesh, told reporters as he prepared to cross back into India.
Authorities on both sides of the border have appealed for calm, but with emotions running high and crowds still gathering, the situation remains tense as security forces struggle to restore order.
