US, March 9 -- In the past two years, South Asia has witnessed an extraordinary surge of youth-driven political movements. From the crowded streets of Kathmandu to the restless campuses of Dhaka, Generation Z has emerged as a powerful force challenging entrenched elites. Both Nepal and Bangladesh saw mass protests led largely by young citizens frustrated by corruption, unemployment, and political stagnation. Yet the political outcomes of these movements could hardly be more different.

Nepal's Gen Z managed to convert protest momentum into electoral success, dramatically reshaping the country's political landscape in the March 2026 elections. Bangladesh's Gen Z, despite toppling a long-standing government through mass mobilization in 2024...