Bangladesh, Sept. 16 -- The charred ruins of Nepals presidential building provided a stark backdrop for a moment of political renewal on September 16, as three newly appointed ministers took their oaths of office under a tent pitched in a courtyard littered with broken glass. The symbolism was unavoidable: a nation scarred by fire and unrest is attempting to rise from the wreckage of its own disillusionment.

The swearing-in marked the first steps of Nepals interim government, led by Sushila Karki, the countrys first female prime minister, after weeks of turmoil forced former Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli and his cabinet to resign.

The mass protests that toppled the government began on September 4 when authorities imposed a sudden ban o...