Kathmandu, Sep 15 (IANS) Vandalism and arson attacks on business enterprises during the Gen-Z protests that brought down former Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli’s government last week have resulted in massive losses to the country’s private sector.
Big shopping malls, hotels, factories, auto showrooms and residences of individual business people were targetted during the violent attacks that began on September 8, leaving 72 people dead and more than 1000 injured till Monday.
The mob attacks also severely damaged Kathmandu’s five-star Hilton hotel, causing huge losses to the group. It was only in July 2024 that the global chain had announced the grand opening of Hilton Kathmandu, marking its foray into Nepal.
After just over a year of starting operations, the Himalayan nation’s tallest hotel located in Naxal, just four kilometres from Tribhuvan International Airport and minutes away from major tourist attractions like Thamel, was burnt to ashes by a mob on September 9 during the anti-government protests.
Visuals capturing the glass tower in flames went viral on social media, as did many other government buildings, businesses, and private structures.
Hotel Association of Nepal (HAN), the representative organisation of the hotels in Nepal, put the figure of the losses from the burning of Hotel Hilton to over NPR 8 billion or INR 5 billion. According to the HAN, vandalism and arson attacks against hotel properties during anti-government protests last week resulted in overall losses of approximately NPR 25 billion.
According to the statement of the HAN, over a dozen hotels – part of local as well as international chains — across the country suffered extensive damage as mobs vandalised and set fire to the various properties in the Kathmandu Valley and other cities, including Pokhara, Butwal, Bhairahawa, Jhapa, Morang’s Biratnagar, Dhangadhi, Mahottari, and Dang’s Tulsipur on September 9.
Hilton, however, suffered the most damage as it appears to have been targetted amid rumours in the recent months that Jaybir Deuba, son of former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, has a stake in the hotel property. Shankar Group, a prominent business group that developed the hotel property, had denied the rumours.
Former Prime Minister Deuba’s own house was also ransacked with arson attacks and vandalism along with the houses of many other leaders, including outgoing Prime Minister Oli, Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Jhalanath Khanal among others.
Besides Hilton, Bhatbhateni Supermarket – the largest retail chain in the Himalayan republic – was also looted and destroyed by arsonists on September 9.
As many as 21 of the 27 outlets of the retail chain were attacked, 12 completely gutted by fire. Besides damages to the property, a total of 10 burnt bodies were found in two of the Bhatbhatnei outlets, long after they were set on fire by the mobs.
Min Bahadur Gururg, the owner of the supermarket chain, was believed to be having a “close connection” with former PM Oli which appears to have ignited the attacks on Bhatbhateni. Last year, Gurung had announced that he would build a modern party office of the then ruling Communist Party of Nepal (United Marxist Leninist) or CPN (UML).
Bhatbhateni Chief Operating Officer Panu Datta Poudel said they were still collecting the details of damages to the various properties. In defiance of whatever had happened, Bhatbhatneni resumed operations at its 16 outlets from Sunday.
Chaudhary Group (CG), whose president Binod Chaudhary was the lawmaker from the Nepali Congress in the now-dissolved House of Representatives, has also suffered massive losses during the Gen-Z protests.
“We witnessed acts of shocking cruelty: our chairman personally targetted, our family homes attacked and burnt, our factories and offices damaged, and our showrooms looted,” CG’s Managing Director Nirvana Chaudhary wrote on Facebook. “Decades of work, sacrifice, and commitment reduced to flames in a matter of hours. It was not just an attack on property, but an attack on hope, on trust, and on the very idea of building something meaningful for our nation,” he added. Nirvana is the eldest son of Binod Chaudhary, who also happens to be the only billionaire of Nepal listed in Forbes’ Billionaire List.
A senior official of the group on the condition of anonymity revealed that its Kathmandu-based electronics assembly factory and CG Net data centre were destroyed. An auto showroom at Kathmandu’s Thapathali was burnt and GG Landmark Mall in southern Chitwan were also attacked and vandalised, the official said.
Likewise, Kathmandu-based head office of telecom operator Ncell, a private sector company, was also vandalised and partially burned, according to the company.
These business enterprises have taken to social media, conveying that they would rise again from what had happened to them last week. However, the attacks have shaken the confidence of Nepali business community, which is already complaining about the lack of demand for goods and services in the country for a low investment.
–IANS
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