BIRGUNJ: The Gen-Z protests took a destructive turn in Birgunj this week, leaving the city’s main municipal complex in ruins. Demonstrators torched half a dozen municipal buildings and set fire to more than a dozen vehicles, causing what officials describe as unprecedented damage to the administrative hub.
According to Sunil Kumar Karna, chief of the Administration and Management Division, nearly all six buildings within the Birgunj Metropolitan premises were burned beyond use. “Most of the structures have been reduced to ashes,” he said. “They are no longer fit for office operations.”
Officials say critical documents, office furniture, and electronic equipment, including computers, printers, and hard drives, were destroyed in the arson attacks, crippling the municipality’s ability to function. “Almost all branch and division records have been lost,” Karna noted. “Rebuilding the system and restoring services will take a very long time.”
The violence also devastated the city’s vehicle fleet. Thirteen municipal vehicles and seven motorcycles were burned, including a vehicle provided by the Ministry of Health and Population and three electric rickshaws, said Jayram Mahto of the Mechanical Division. The estimated loss from vehicles alone is around Rs. 80 million.
The attacks began around 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday, with mobs storming the premises, looting office property, and setting fires. Karna estimates that 95 percent of municipal infrastructure has been damaged.
In response, Birgunj’s municipal police have launched a recovery campaign to retrieve stolen goods. Since Thursday, they have managed to recover nine hard drives, computer accessories, tables, chairs, and other looted items.
Despite cleanup efforts by municipal sanitation staff, the destruction has left officials facing a monumental challenge: how to keep the city functioning without offices, records, or equipment.
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