Nepal’s 36-year-old Prime Minister Balendra Shah, better known as ‘Balen,’ completed 100 days in office on Sunday. The former rapper and Kathmandu mayor has taken rapid action since assuming power, though he has remained largely absent from public view, AFP reported.
The day after his swearing-in, police arrested former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and his ex-home minister on the recommendation of a commission investigating the September 2025 uprising that toppled Oli’s government. They were later released without charges as the investigation continues.
Shah rarely appears in public, communicating primarily through social media — he even delivered his election victory speech as a rap performance. He has avoided meetings with foreign ambassadors and delegated the traditional first foreign visits to India and China to his foreign minister.
“Three months have passed and we have seen very little of the man we elected as prime minister. He needs to be more open,” journalist Pranay Rana said.
Shah’s landslide victory in the March 5 general election — the first after the youth-led anti-corruption movement toppled Oli’s government in 2025 — surprised many. His rise was fueled by public anger over lack of economic opportunity and long-standing political corruption.
Upon taking office, his government announced a 100-point reform program covering governance, anti-corruption measures, public services, and digital transformation. The government claims about 70 measures have been implemented so far.
Shah told a June meeting his government is on an “expressway of change” and would not “hit the brakes” before reaching its destination. His government presented a 2.1 trillion rupee budget prioritizing infrastructure, technology, health, and education.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report