Around 14 March 2025 (as reported), members of a faction of NSU demonstrated by padlocking and vandalizing chairs of the election office of the Independent Students Union in Biratnagar city (Morang district). The incident occurred due to a dispute over the official status of student groups on campus. Police arrested six people during the incident.

Supply-chain Risk Briefing: Student Protests in Biratnagar, Nepal

Summary

Student group conflicts in Biratnagar city, Morang province in eastern Nepal around March 14th resulted in damage and occupation of election office facilities. Police arrested 6 individuals, with the dispute stemming from conflicts over official status of student organizations within the campus. This is a small-scale localized incident with an overall low risk level.

Supply-chain impact

• Regional industrial activity: Biratnagar is a major commercial and industrial city in eastern Nepal, with potential temporary impacts on local manufacturing and logistics activities
• Border trade: Given the area's proximity to the Indian border, this could serve as a short-term destabilizing factor for small-scale bilateral trade transactions
• Transportation networks: If student protests expand, limited delays in urban traffic and freight transportation are possible
• Local supply chains: Minor short-term disruptions expected in commercial districts and retail distribution around university areas

Watch points

• Track whether conflicts between student groups expand and monitor additional protest planning trends
• Monitor traffic conditions in the Biratnagar region and progress toward normalization of commercial activities
• Observe the Nepalese government's mediation measures for campus student group disputes and security authorities' response levels