KATHMANDU: Individuals who had kept gold as collateral for loans at a branch of the state-owned Rastriya Banijya Bank staged a protest at the bank’s central office in Singha Durbar Plaza on Monday, demanding compensation for gold lost during the Gen-Z movement.
The protesters gathered outside the bank’s headquarters, accusing the management of failing to provide relief or a clear solution months after nearly 18 kilograms of gold and more than Rs 52.5 million in cash were reportedly stolen from the bank’s New Baneshwor branch during the protests.
According to the demonstrators, the missing gold had been deposited as collateral against loans. They argued that the bank should return gold equivalent to the amount pledged rather than shifting responsibility onto customers.
One of the protesters, Saraswati Basnet, said borrowers had been compelled to take to the streets because the bank management was allegedly attempting to avoid accountability instead of compensating affected clients.
The protesters also questioned whether trusting a government-owned bank had become a mistake, expressing frustration over the lack of a concrete response from authorities.
Police prevented demonstrators from entering the bank’s central office during the protest. No major clashes or incidents were reported.
The dispute stems from the theft that occurred at the New Baneshwor branch during the Gen-Z movement, leaving gold-backed borrowers uncertain about the fate of their collateral and seeking immediate restitution from the bank.
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