Nepal - “Shot like enemies”

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1:15This is the sound of 17-year-old Sri Amchaulagai from Nepal playing with his dog Jojo.

1:26The teenager, known as Bunku to his family, was curious about the world. Here is his mother, Ganga Karki. My son was so clever. He was so curious. I'd tell him that being overly inquisitive wouldn't end well for him, but he needed to investigate everything. He was not afraid to speak up. Worried about his determination, his mother once consulted an astrologer, a common practice in Nepal for families seeking guidance about the future. Here is Ganga Garki. The astrologer told me that he would join the government and also that he'd work with guns, perhaps the army, he said. I would tell my son to join the government after finishing school.

2:09His father, Ganesh Chawlagai, thought the police might suit him better. But Sriyam had his own ideas about everything, especially about politics. When I'd tell him my opinion on the news, he'd interject. He'd say the country was in peril and corruption had hollowed it out. He followed countless news sources without my knowing. He was far more informed than I was. On September 8th, 2025, Sriyam told his mum that he wanted to join other young people, or Gen Z, to protest against corruption. Ganga Karki was worried. I told him not to go. Things can happen at these protests. But he said, it's for the Gen Z youth, I'll be in my uniform.

2:55As we are minors, nobody will do anything to us. Sriyam went in his school uniform, carrying his school bag. He never returned home. He was shot in the back of the head by the police. He died of his injuries. According to official figures, 19 Nepalis were killed in the protest on September 8th. A further 300 were injured. Anger at these deaths ignited a second day of protest, and this time it could not be contained. By the end of the second day, the government had fallen, and the army was called in to calm the streets.

3:38Nepal has 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. So how did this political upheaval unfold? I am Sabina Shrestha and I'm piecing together a forensic account of the most dramatic two days in Nepal's recent history. Drawing on more than 4 ,000 videos filmed on the streets, testimony from police and protesters, and an exclusive leaked record of police radio for BBCI and Assignment, we reveal how Nepali authorities lost control of this protest. And ask, did Nepal's police, army and politicians fail a generation desperate for change?

4:29So what fuelled the anger felt by young people in Nepal ahead of the protests? Nepal lies between India and China, bordering the Tibet Autonomous Region, and is home to some of the highest mountains on earth. Until 1951, the country remained largely close to the outside world. After a decade-long conflict known as the Nepalese Civil War, Nepal abolished its monarchy in 2008 and became a republic. In 2015, a new constitution promised a fresh start. But 10 years on, that promise has yet to be realized. More than half of its population of around 30 million are under the age of 30. One in five young Nepalis are unemployed.

5:14For millions, migration has become the only option. The country remains burdened by debt and economic dependence. On the face of things, government shifted between the three main political parties. But for many young Nepalis, the same group of elderly politicians clung to power year after year. 26-year-old Rakhshabhan is one of the many Gen Z students who feel democracy has fallen short. Our generation was exasperated by the behavior of leaders who've been here forever. They never tried to understand the voices on the streets. In recent years in the United States, the term Nepo babies had gained traction online, criticising celebrity children seen as benefiting from inherited privilege rather than merit.

6:07In the Philippines, young activists adopted the same phrase, channelling public anger at children of powerful officials, especially those connected to corruption scandals. The global Nepo baby trend came to Nepal Hundreds of posts spread online sharing images and videos of politicians' children displaying luxury goods, expensive outfits, handbags and high-end trips abroad It showed the difference between the lifestyles of the politicians and their families and normal people It provoked an angry response online in both Nepali and English We wake up, work hard, pay taxes. But those in power, they keep on stealing.

6:53It is time we call out these people and make these people feel accountable for their choices. That message struck a chord with millions of young people, including 17-year-old student Sriyam Cholagai, who joined the debate on social media. On the 4th of September, alarmed by the scale of dissent voiced online, the government took a drastic decision. It shut down access to a number of social media platforms, including Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, X, LinkedIn, WhatsApp. But people were getting around the block by using VPNs. They were shocked at being censored. Poof, the platform, it's all gone.

7:33We have so many problems in Nepal, but they think, yeah, let's ban social media. That's going to fix the country. Why are these idiots running the country? But in the halls of power, Nepal's political establishment was in a state of denial. Prime Minister KB Sharma Oli justified the social media shutdown at an event. Are we estranged from the people? Do people no longer support us? The truth is, we are at the centre of hope for the people. Even as speeches went on, the ground was shifting. Despite the government ban, Gen Z found other platforms, like Discord and TikTok, to share hashtags and memes, channeling their anger over corruption and poor governance.

8:23Within days, plans for a nationwide protest were circulating on the messaging platform Discord. Thousands of people joined the server or group Youths Against Corruption. It emerged as the central hub for coordination and discussion. Organisers agree on a meeting point. 9am, Maithigarh Mandala, a junction in the centre of Kathmandu, in the country's capital. It was the morning of September 8th, 2025. Raksha was filmed speaking on the front line.

8:59We are not going to damage state property. We'll raise our voice in peace. Are we all ready for the protest? At around 10.30, the crowd moved forward along Madanbandari Road. Government intelligence had predicted 3 ,000 protesters, but tens of thousands turned out.

9:22Many were wearing school uniform, believing it might offer a kind of protection.

9:32The protesters headed for Nepal's parliament. But before they got there, they met with a police barricade. Some 200 police were now face-to-face with thousands of protesters, and the mood started to turn.

9:51At 11.47, a group of demonstrators found a way around the cordon. The police, taken by surprise, abandoned the barricade. And the crowd surged towards Parliament. The organisers had called for a peaceful protest. But already, this was getting out of hand. The tragedy that followed was captured in more than 4 ,000 videos and pictures taken by journalists, bystanders and protesters. We spent months collecting and analysing this evidence, as well as sourcing exclusive accounts from police. We can now bring you the most detailed account yet of exactly what happened on September 8th at the gates of Nepal's parliament.

10:43At 11.58, protesters faced off against armed police. Most of the crowd was peaceful, but at the front line, tensions spilled into violence. Some protesters climb onto the roof of the entrance gate to parliament. At 12.15, one group breached the wall. They were quickly pushed back by police. On Discord, some protesters started to worry. Weren't we planning to stay outside? And why did we break down the barricade? Looking at online footage of the crowd, we spotted 17-year-old Sriyam in his school uniform, here against his mother's wishes. He's holding a banner that reads, Youths Against Corruption.

11:36But not everyone was peaceful. At 12.30, a curfew was declared. The gathering now became illegal.

11:49But the curfew seemed to make things worse. Police fired tear gas and rubber bullets. Their response was chaotic Some even threw stones back at protesters Seeing the gatehouse on fire, panicked officers radioed for help Asking the superiors for permission to use live ammunition We know this because the BBC has obtained a leaked police radio log of that day This document has never been made public It reveals that it's now at 12.40 that the authorization to deploy necessary force is given. That order marked a turning point. Shots were fired, and over the next few hours, a number of protesters died.

12:41On Discord, news of live fire spread quickly. They're firing real bullets. Real bullets, guys. They're using real bullets now. And on the street, anger escalated to fury. The police were overwhelmed. One group was cornered outside the gates. At 1.42, our police timeline records the panic among officers. Police bleeding profusely and about to be killed. Shooting at main gate may be necessary. Eventually, they used tear gas to dry back the crowd and retreated into the grounds of parliament.

13:26Here is vlogger Sunjeev Jang Chhetri. He's filming himself at the protest.

13:34People wanted a revolution for change, but there's been a shower of bullets. We don't know how many have died. At the same time, watching the state of the police, I feel sorry for them. The next order to come through police radio is unambiguous. Open fire to establish safety. Regain control of situation. By 1.48, multiple people were getting shot. By this time, accounts on Discord were urging demonstrators to leave. But 24-year-old Sulaw Rajshreshter stayed at the parliament gates. He was carrying a sign that read, no more corruption. Seconds later, vlogger Sanjeev films him bleeding on the floor.

14:17Look at this. Sulaw was dead. This is just too much, way too much. Realising that he could not be saved, protesters carried Sulav to the gates of the parliament. They lay his body on the road, directly in front of the police, and covered it in Nepal's flag. Among those who witnessed the shooting was 17-year-old Sriam Cholagai, the boy in school uniform.

14:51Ahead of him, a group of protesters belted the police with stones

14:58Sriyam turned from the violence and moved away from the parliament These were the last steps he took He was shot in the back of the head The footage of Sriyam being shot went viral across Nepal By the time he arrived at the National Trauma Centre Sriyam was dead. He was the youngest victim shot outside Parliament on September 8th. An analysis of footage by the BBC found no evidence that either Sulaw or Sriyam were involved in violent acts. According to official figures, 19 Nepalis were killed in the protest on September 8th. A further 300 were injured. This is the documentary from the BBC World Service.

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18:42So how did the police come to open fire on their own citizens? According to our police sources and the leaked transcript, the order came through police radio from someone who used the call sign Kilo One. One source told us, some of us were badly hurt. One of us asked to be rescued. Kilo One ordered us to shoot. Kilo One was the call sign of Bishwa Adhikari, the officer in charge of Nepal police operations in Kathmandu that day. But Kilo One was not at the top of the chain of command. The police log reveals that the first order to use force came from a more senior officer using the call sign Peter 1.

19:27An order attributed to him in the log says, Curfew already in place. No further need to obtain permission. Deploy necessary force. Peter 1 was Chandrakubir Kapu, Nepal's most senior officer, the inspector general of police. He has denied accountability. Nepal police told us the decision to use force came from a committee made up of Nepal's main security forces. They said that Kapung's decision came after the committee's decision. Other police officers have admitted to failures in intelligence, training and direction. They also blame the army for failing to support them. But most are haunted by what happened.

20:13Another police source told us, On that day, rather than managing a crowd, Our officers fired on them like they were enemies. Later that day, Sri M's dad Ganesh got a call no parent wants to get, telling him that his son was at the trauma centre. When I arrived, there was a crowd, a big crowd next to the gate, and I went over to check it, and there was a list of names pinned to the gate. It was a list of names of the dead. The first name I saw was my son's. As soon as I went home, my wife asked me, you went to get our son, where is Banku? I said he's been hurt, they're treating him. She asked me, why did you leave him alone?

21:01I was buying time. I was broken. But despite the deaths, the Prime Minister dug his heels in. Here's an exchange with Prithvi Subhaguram, the Minister for Communication. There has been a demand for the resignation of the Prime Minister. You can't make such demands from the street. The Prime Minister will not resign. On Discord, frustration quickly turned incendiary. Some users called for the country to be burned down. Others called for violent attacks against police. This is protester Rakhshabam again. All night long I waited for dawn to break. My whole being ached to stand against the state and the choices it had made.

21:49As dawn broke on September 9th, the fury among the protesters ignited. I've not been able to sleep all night thinking about all those children who were killed. These leaders should be killed. Is it acceptable to kill children? At first, Nepal's authorities had a plan. Regular police units would contain the crowds, backed by the armed police force with the army held in reserve. Security forces were deployed in and around the parliamentary complex. By 8.30am, another curfew was imposed.

22:28But the crowds did not back down. Again, Raksha was among them. She was filming as she went. You cannot kill your own people. You can't. You can't. On her phone, you can hear her protests. We're outside the parliament. Gunshots have started. By nine, things got ugly. Crowds morphed into mobs, targeting the police, the homes of political leaders and government buildings. As events unfolded, the chaos was streamed live, online. The police were overstretched. Officers say the support promised by the armed police force and the Nepal army never arrived. At around 1pm, the police appeared to give up the attempt to control the mob.

23:22With the police in retreat, chaos reigned. Nepal's parliament, left undefended, fell to the crowd. By 2pm, it was under their control. Yesterday they killed students, Gen Zs. Now you know what Gen Zs are capable of. Within minutes, the building was set ablaze. Crowds breached the Supreme Court and Singhartha, the historic compound housing most government ministries. By 2.30 that afternoon, the Prime Minister and most senior political figures were under army protection. Senior police officers also took refuge in the military compound. Rank-and-file officers left on the streets were now targets.

24:13Some were stripped off their uniforms and publicly humiliated.

24:20There's a video showing officers who were thrown into a river as a mob attacked them with stones.