Former Nepali prime minister KP Sharma Oli has issued a statement from the military facility in Shivpuri area of Kathmandu, accusing unseen forces of using the youth to rampage important government offices, including the parliament building, which triggered lethal action against the protesters.
On Wednesday, he lamented that the protests had been hijacked. โThe arson and destruction of important government offices did not happen spontaneously,โ Oli warned. โThere is an attempt to use your innocent faces for ulterior political motives.โ
He urged the youth not to let their legitimate anger be weaponised. โYou are the future of Nepal. Donโt let your energy be channelled into chaos,โ he appealed.
In his statement, Oli expressed sorrow over the loss of young lives during the violent crackdown.
โEven though I became childless due to state oppression, the desire to become a father is still alive in me,โ he said in an emotional reference to the death of his own son years ago, which he linked to political struggle.
Oli, a veteran of Nepali politics and former Home Minister in 1994, recalled his time in office with pride: โNo bullets were fired under my command. I have always stood for peace.โ
He also emphasised the importance of civil liberties, stating that โensuring the freedom of citizens to speak, to move, and to question authorityโ has been the very purpose of his political life.
Despite being forced from power, Oli reaffirmed his commitment to national sovereignty, once again raising the issue of Lipulekh, Kalapani, and Limpiyadhura, territories claimed by Nepal but currently under Indian administration.
โThese lands are ours. Our maps must reflect our truth,โ he insisted.
Oli, who abruptly resigned on September 9 amid a Bangladesh-like youth-led protest, broke his silence with the written message on Wednesday, when the Nepal Army and representatives of the civil society and the protesters were discussing the nature of the interim government, which is not mentioned in the Constitution, adopted in 2015.
After the daylong clashes, Oli had expressed sorrow over the deaths on September 8. โThe families of the deceased will be provided compensation, and the injured will receive free treatment,โ he said in the statement. โTodayโs incident will be thoroughly investigated.โ
Hami Nepal, a youth-led charity, announced the protest plan and coordinated it via platforms like TikTok and Reddit prior to the ban. It highlights “Nepo kids” (politicians’ children flaunting wealth) and corruption scandals like the $71 million Pokhara airport embezzlement.
The movement drew tens of thousands across Kathmandu, Pokhara, and other cities, blending demands for the ban’s reversal (lifted at night on September 8) with broader calls for anti-corruption reforms and Oli’s ouster the following day.
Nepal in crisis as PM Oli resigns after Bangladesh-like protests
While the political parties insist that the next steps follow the Constitution, the Gen Z representatives proposed former Chief Justice Sushila Karki as the head of the upcoming government on Wednesday.
But, outside the Nepal Army Headquarters, slogans were chanted in favour of Kathmandu Metropolitan City Mayor Balendra Shah, who has already expressed his support for Justice Karki.
In a Facebook post, Mayor Shah urged citizens not to panic, emphasising that the interim governmentโs primary role is to organise elections and provide a fresh mandate. He also cautioned those eager to assume leadership prematurely, stating that energy, honesty, and vision are needed for long-term national progress, not temporary positions.
Mayor Shah further appealed to the President to immediately form the interim government and dissolve Parliament, framing it as a necessary step to safeguard the historic revolution.
Meanwhile, Nepali Congress (NC) General Secretaries Gagan Kumar Thapa and Bishwa Prakash Sharma welcomed the Presidentโs initiative for dialogue and emphasised that any new political arrangements must follow constitutional and legal procedures.
They also called for a thorough investigation into excessive use of force during the protests and for accountability of those responsible. โIn this turbulent period, impulses and anger are temporary, but the Nepali Congress will emerge stronger and more accountable, safeguarding the Constitution and advancing democratic progress,โ the appeal stated.
Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) President Rabi Lamichhane has clarified that he is not participating in any effort to form a new government.
In a Facebook video message on Wednesday, Lamichhane said he is โneither in the leadership race nor attending any meetings related to government formation.โ
โThere is no need to drag my name into controversy. I have repeatedly said I am not in this race, so there is no reason to defame me,โ he stated.
Lamichhane added that the ongoing movement was initiated by Generation Z and that its leadership should also be decided by them. On the recent Nakkhu Jail episode, Lamichhane reiterated that he was released after an official letter and did not flee custody.
He said he had even contacted security chiefs, who told him to remain safe and assured him they would reach out if necessary. Lamichhane further noted that judicial bodies have been formally informed about his case, which he is pursuing through legal channels.
Death toll
The Ministry of Health and Population has reported a heavy toll from the demonstrations on Monday and Tuesday, confirming 30 deaths and 1,033 injuries nationwide.
According to figures released on Wednesday evening, 713 injured individuals have already been discharged, while 55 were referred to other facilities for further treatment. Another 253 patients remain newly admitted.
Civil Service Hospital is currently handling the largest caseload, treating 436 people. The National Trauma Centre is caring for 161 patients, and Everest Hospital is treating 109. In all, 28 hospitals across the country are providing care to those affected.
The Health Ministry said emergency services have been mobilised to cope with the surge in patients and instructed hospitals to stay on high alert.
Arms loot, jail breaks
As of Wednesday, a significant cache of 73 firearms was recovered from different areas, including seven from Maharajgunj.
Similarly, the situation ensued after prisoners clashed with the Nepal Police at Dhulikhel District Jail in Kavre has been brought under control.
Likewise, the fire that broke out at Dillibazar Jail has been doused with the efforts of the Nepali Army and other agencies. The security forces have apprehended four escaping inmates in Saptari, 202 in Sunsari, 43 in Rukum (West), 50 in Kapilvastu, and four in Myagdi from among those who fled from various district jails.
In one of the largest jailbreaks in Nepalโs history, more than two dozen prisons across the country witnessed mass escapes on Tuesday and Wednesday after anti-corruption protests turned violent. Thousands of inmates fled amid arson attacks and riots.
The jailbreaks began when youth protesters stormed multiple prison facilities, setting administrative buildings ablaze and forcing open prison gates. By Wednesday evening, preliminary reports confirmed that over 15,000 inmates had fled from more than 25 prisons, with only a fraction returning voluntarily or being rearrested.
The deadliest incident occurred at the Banke Juvenile Reform Centre, where police opened fire during the chaos, killing five inmates. Of the total 228 children at the centre, 122 fled from the facility.
Officials said the shooting was prompted after protesters attempted to seize weapons from security personnel guarding the facility.
In the Kathmandu Valley, mass breakouts were reported from two major prisons. At the Central Jail in Sundhara alone, around 3,300 inmates escaped, while another 1,400 fled from the Nakkhu Prison in Lalitpur.
At Dillibazar Prison in Kathmandu, inmates attempted to break out by setting fires, but security forces foiled the attempt. Inmates still managed to come out to the streets, chanting slogans before the Nepali Army cordoned off the area to block further movement.
Onlinekhabar, a leading news website, quoted Deputy Inspector General of Nepal Police Binod Ghimire as saying that over 13,570 prisoners escaped the prisons across the country. Families of crime victims have expressed fear as inmates convicted of heinous crimes such as murders, rapes, abductions, and human trafficking have also escaped.
In Gandaki province, the Kaski District Prison saw 773 inmates escape after protesters set fire to the administrative block on Tuesday evening. Jailor Rajendra Sharma said the prison was holding 500 convicted prisoners, including two serving life sentences, while others were under judicial custody.
โThe administrative building has been destroyed. We have no electricity, water, or food supplies left. Contact with many inmates is completely lost,โ Sharma told reporters. Among the escapees were 13 Indian nationals and four other foreigners. The eastern Tarai witnessed the highest concentration of jailbreaks.
At Rautahatโs Gaur Prison, 260 inmates, including over 100 convicted of murder, fled after anti-corruption protesters stormed the compound. Mahottariโs Jaleshwar Prison reported 575 escapes, while 1,575 prisoners fled from the Jhumka Prison in Sunsari, one of the countryโs largest facilities.
Authorities said 220 inmates later returned voluntarily or were captured by the army. In Chitwan, 700 inmates escaped, leaving only 40 behind by Wednesday morning. Similarly, 459 prisoners fled from Kapilvastu District Prison after setting fires in two separate blocks; police later recaptured 74 of them from nearby markets and highways.
The western hills and far-western districts also reported major breakouts. Parbat Prison lost 86 of its 99 inmates after protesters stormed the facility late Tuesday night, while 436 prisoners fled from the Banke District Prison.
Kailali Prison saw 612 inmates escape, but only one was recaptured by army patrols by Wednesday evening. In Kanchanpur, 478 of 501 inmates fled, including 26 women; 21 later returned voluntarily, nine of them Indian nationals. Dadeldhura Prison reported that 85 inmates escaped, with security forces managing to arrest 32.
Doti, Baitadi, and Makawanpur districts reported breakouts of 62, 124, and 260 prisoners, respectively. Sindhuli Prison saw around 500 inmates flee after arson destroyed its main gate. The Department of Prison Management stated that it was still compiling final figures from all provinces.
Director General Lila Prasad Sharma confirmed that security forces, including the Nepal Army, Armed Police Force, and Nepal Police, had been deployed nationwide to re-arrest escapees and restore order. โWe are mobilising all available resources to re-arrest them as quickly as possible,” he added.
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