YOUTH-inspired protests in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal and Indonesia have transformed national politics in recent years. Protests against employment quotas in Bangladesh or social media ban in Nepal suddenly became broad movements against corruption, elitism and economic mismanagement. The uprisings led by Generation Z (Gen-Z), amplified by social media platforms, overthrew governments swiftly, marking a new chapter in the region’s political history.

The ban on the use of social media in Nepal sparked a series of significant protests, prompting the prime minister’s resignation within a few days. Bangladesh’s 2024 protests against unjust job quotas turned into a nationwide uprising against authoritarianism, toppling the government and forcing the prime minister to flee the country and take refuge elsewhere.

Just as was the case in Bangladesh and Nepal, the active participation of the youth was the running thread across the political changes that gripped Sri Lanka and Indonesia.

All these movements entailed personal sacrifices, arrests and even loss of life. Still, people — especially the youth — held firm, confronting oppressive adminis-trations and elite privileges. They held their leaders accountable. The world was surprised and impressed as South Asia’s young re-imagined democracy.

Yet, revolutions alone cannot guarantee sustainable change. Post-revolution instability, interim regimes and crack-downs have threatened to replace one set of elitism with another. The enthusiasm of the youth clearly needs to be harnessed to force durable changes, institutional accountability, and inclusive policies.

Saroj Rizwan Khan
Karachi

Published in Dawn, October 21st, 2025