The Parsa District Administration has enforced a curfew in Birgunj after rival groups continued staging demonstrations on Monday despite an active prohibitory order.

The district administration had earlier in the afternoon issued a prohibitory order until further notice. However, the agitating groups defied the order, prompting the local authorities to impose stricter orders.

The decision comes a day after tensions in the region escalated in the wake of protests linked to recent communal unrest in Dhanusha.

Bhola Dahal, chief district officer of Parsa, issued the curfew order effective from 6 pm on Monday until 8 am Tuesday.

According to the order, the restricted zone covers a wide perimeter: Bypass Road in the east, Sirsiya Bridge in the west, Powerhouse Chowk in the north, and Shankaracharya Gate in the south.

Authorities said the earlier prohibitory order, issued in the afternoon, failed to prevent both groups from rallying at multiple locations, prompting the administration to adopt stricter measures. “The situation needed firm control, and the curfew was necessary to maintain order,” an official said, echoing the security concerns highlighted in Sunday’s Birgunj protests.

Under the curfew, all movement, assemblies, rallies, meetings and public gatherings are prohibited. Residents have been instructed not to leave their residences except for emergency purposes, according to the notice issued by the administration.

The move follows a series of tense episodes in Birgunj since Sunday, where protests erupted in response to a mosque vandalism incident in Dhanusha’s Kamala Municipality. Police had earlier used tear gas to disperse demonstrators, with several personnel injured in clashes.

Authorities said security has been strengthened overnight and urged the public to cooperate with the restrictions until the situation stabilises.