KATHMANDU: Nepal’s Prime Minister Balendra Shah may keep his signature dark sunglasses on in the legislature due to medical reasons, an official said on Tuesday, after the parliament speaker had advised against it.

The rapper-turned-politician better known as “Balen” has rarely been seen in public without his trademark rectangular shades. The 36-year-old premier has been seen wearing them everywhere from campaign rallies to official engagements and even in his formal portrait after taking office in March.

Earlier this month, Speaker Dol Prasad Aryal advised against wearing dark glasses in the chamber, citing criticism by the public that such eyewear is out of place in the national legislature. But Shah appears to have won an exemption.

“A report has been submitted to the secretariat pointing to medical reasons for the respected prime minister to need sunglasses,” the parliament secretariat’s deputy spokesman Ananta Prasad Koirala said.

Koirala said Shah would be allowed to wear the glasses in parliament if they were medically necessary in bright light. Shah, who has kept a low profile since taking office, is expected to appear for a parliament session on Wednesday.

The dark glasses, often paired with an all-black outfit, have become a defining feature of Shah’s public persona since his successful campaign to become the mayor of Kathmandu in 2022.

Their popularity has surged, with shops selling lookalike eyewear as “Balen sunglasses” to customers keen to emulate Shah’s style.

Published in Dawn, August 26th, 2026