The Gen Z uprising in Nepal led to the overthrow of the Oli regime in just two days. In its wake it left over 30 dead and hundreds injured. The houses of many politicians were torched while some senior members of the government were manhandled. Democratic institutions, including the parliament building, were burnt in a display of frustration and anger. An interim government has been formed based on negotiations between the army, youth leaders who led the protests, and the President.

Ex Chief Justice Sushila Karki has been appointed as the leader of the interim government and tasked to hold fresh elections in March next year alongside changes in the constitution. She is reputed to be honest, with zero tolerance for corruption. She has jailed a serving minister and removed bureaucrats from office on corruption grounds during her tenure in the judiciary. In the case of both Bangladesh and Nepal, the head government is a non-political entity, a household name. They have been allocated similar tasks, amending the constitution and conducting elections. How much will they succeed is to be seen. Elections have been announced in Bangladesh, but whether they will be held on time is unknown.

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There are no inputs on what changes are being brought about in the constitution by Mohamad Yunus, apart from banning Sheikh Hasina’s Awami league and lifting the ban on the Jamaat-e-Islami. It should be noted that in both cases the heads of the interim government lack political experience, are dependent on the army for their power, and are under pressure from student groups which led the agitation. It has been over a year in Bangladesh and nothing much has changed, rather the country has slid downhill. How will Nepal pan out and how much pressure students........

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