Curfew extended in Nepal's Birgunj city as tension continues over TikTok video

Parsa [Nepal], January 6 (ANI): The District Administration Office (DAO) of Parsa has extended the curfew order in Birgunj city in the wake of the continued religious tension over a TikTok video.

The local administration on Monday afternoon issued the prohibitory order in parts of the district, but the two sides held simultaneous protests defying the order, prompting authorities to impose curfew.

The DAO, Parsa, yesterday imposed curfew from 6 PM (Local Time) on Monday to 8 AM (Local Time) on Tuesday. With the situation still out of control and the threat persistent, the curfew has been extended till 1 PM (Local Time), Tuesday.

"The curfew order issued yesterday, 2082.09.21 (2026.01.05) from 6:00 PM to 8:00 AM on 2082.09.22 (2026.01.06), in view of the latest security situation, has been continued in the following four forts within the Birgunj Metropolitan City area of Parsa district, as per Section 6 (a) of the Local Administration Act, 2028, from today, 2082.09.22 (2026.01.06), until 1:00 PM, prohibiting anyone from moving within those boundaries, holding any kind of gathering, procession, demonstration, meeting, meeting, or siege," the latest order said.

The local administration has marked the Bus Park, Nagwa, Inarwa (East); Sirsia River (West); Gandak Chowk (North), and Shankaracharya Gate (South) as the four pillars.

"During the curfew, security personnel are allowed to shoot on sight, so it is requested that you do not step out of your home except for essential purposes, and if you do need to step out, coordinate with the nearest security personnel or call 100," the administration warned the people.

The administration has also made it clear that during the curfew period, security personnel will facilitate the movement of essential service vehicles, ambulances, fire engines, hearses, health workers' vehicles, media personnel, tourist vehicles, vehicles of human rights and diplomatic missions, and air passengers based on air tickets.

Tension has continued to flare in Birgunj near the Indian state of Bihar since Sunday after a dispute between two groups triggered by religiously targeted comments on TikTok that spiraled from Dhanusha's Kamala Municipality.

The controversy is said to have begun when two youths, Haider Ansari and Amanat Ansari, uploaded a video on TikTok in Janakpur, Dhanusha. Locals claimed the video hurt religious sentiments and handed the youths over to the police.

Tension had started to flare in ward 6 of Kamala Municipality after a mosque was vandalized. In protest, demonstrators staged rallies in and around Birgunj, burning tyres and chanting slogans from Sunday.

The unrest, initially sparked in Dhanusha and Parsa, escalated via TikTok, as both sides took to the streets over issues affecting religious and communal sentiments. (ANI)

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