Kathmandu on Alert as Republic Day, Budget, and Royalists’ Protest Overlap

Security has been visibly heightened across Kathmandu on Thursday, May 29, as Nepal marks the 18th Republic Day amid rising political tension. Pro-monarchist parties and groups have announced demonstrations later in the day demanding the reinstatement of Nepal as a Hindu Kingdom.

Read: Deaths, Arson, Vandalism and Looting

Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Bishnu Paudel is set to present the federal budget for fiscal year 2025/26 in a joint session of the National Assembly and House of Representatives at 3 PM.

Read: New Budget to Target Economic Reform as Political Storm Brews

Photographs by Sunil Sharma capture the unusual stillness of Durbarmarg—typically teeming with traffic—standing empty on Thursday afternoon.