Dhaka, Sept. 14 -- Violent protests swept across Nepal this week, as demonstrators set fire to the parliament, forced the prime minister to resign and flee the country, and torched luxury hotels in Kathmandu. The demonstrations, widely dubbed "Gen Z protests," were fueled by public anger at the country's wealthy elites and the stark contrast between their lavish lifestyles and widespread poverty in one of the world's poorest nations.

The capital's skyline was engulfed in smoke when arsonists set fire to Hilton Kathmandu, the city's tallest hotel, reducing the glass tower to a blackened shell barely a year after its opening in July 2024. Images and videos of the blaze quickly went viral on social media.

Led primarily by young protesters,...