Talks between victims of predatory lending practices and a government negotiation team ended without an agreement on Wednesday night, after both sides refused to back down from their positions.

The negotiations, held at the hall of the Nijgadh Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Bara, continued until midnight but ended in a stalemate.

Home Minister Sudan Gurung travelled to Bara on Monday to lead talks on behalf of the government. During two days of negotiations, victims submitted a six-point draft agreement outlining their demands to Gurung on Wednesday night.

Gurung, who headed the government negotiation team, said the government was ready to accept all the demands raised during the talks but argued that some wording in the draft agreement needed revision. He urged the protesters to suspend their agitation and come to Kathmandu, saying a negotiation committee would be formed and the final agreement would be signed at the Ministry of Home Affairs.

“This is not like previous governments. This government will honour its commitments,” Gurung told the victims. “Do not worry. We are with you. We will resolve this issue.”

But the victims, citing previous government assurances and agreements that were never fully implemented, refused to accept the minister’s promises. They rejected the government’s conditions outright.

Gurung left the negotiation venue at 11:25pm after the talks failed to make progress. Protesters responded by raising slogans and declaring that their movement would continue.

During the meeting, Gurung tried to address issues related to ongoing court cases, arrest warrants and other legal matters, saying amendments to existing laws and changes to the draft agreement would be necessary.

The talks, originally scheduled for noon on Wednesday, began only at 8:15pm.

Nirga Naveen, coordinator of the United People’s Rights Front Nepal, which has been supporting the victims’ movement, said the protesters would suspend their planned march to Kathmandu only after the government signed a written agreement at the negotiation table.

“The movement will not stop until our demands are addressed and the government signs a concrete written agreement,” he said. “We will remain in Nijgadh for some more time. We will no longer accept verbal assurances. Any agreement must be formalised in writing.”

Gen Z activist Laxmi Ghimire, who is participating in the march, said the victims had demanded that the government sign their draft agreement without changes to ensure its legal validity.

“Efforts are still underway to restart talks, but no decision has been made on when the formal dialogue will take place,” she said. “We have asked for a written commitment, not verbal assurances. Our position remains unchanged. If there is no agreement, the justice march will continue towards Kathmandu.”

A meeting of the march’s secretariat was underway to decide the next course of action.

The victims’ main demands include the return of land pledged as collateral and seized by predatory lenders, cancellation of fraudulent promissory notes, and legal action against networks involved in illegal high-interest lending.

Victims say previous governments have formed task forces and introduced legal reforms to address the problem, but they have yet to receive justice in practice.

Participants from several districts of Madhesh had been marching on foot from Janakpur towards Kathmandu. They stopped in Nijgadh after Home Minister Gurung travelled to Bara to hold talks with them.