Bandhs including one-day Valley strike enforced by various students' unions and youth fronts affiliated to major political parties against the recent price hike of petroleum products have affected normal life in the Valley and various districts on January 25.

According to INSEC Kathmandu representative Raju Paswan, thirteen student unions and nine youth fronts affiliated to major political parties called for a day-long strike against the hike in prices of petroleum products in the Valley today.

Normal life in the Capital was crippled due to the strike, with the streets wearing deserted look and shops downing their shutters. NSU cadre Nishan Thapaliya, 19 of Nuwakot and Krishna Khadgi, 22 of Sangla7, who were students of Gramin Adharsha School, were arrested by Nepaltar Police Post alleging that they were involved in forcing the closure of market. Mani Gurung, 34, of Ranitar2 of Panchthar was arrested from Balaju Bypass by the Balaju Police in the capital today. Transportation came to a grinding halt, markets, academic institutions and industries remained shut down in the Capital throughout the day. People were forced to bear the brunt of the strike.

Lalitpur representative Gopi Krishna Bhattarai reported the Satdobato Police arrested Rajendra Gotame on the allegation of smashing the windowpanes of District Livestock Office. Large numbers of security personnel were deployed in every major junctions of the district to contain any untoward incident, police said.

Normal life was also affected in various districts due to the strike called by students to protest the price hike of petroleum products today.

According to Dhanusha representative Binod Kumar Rabidas, agitating students vandalized two vehicles plated Na 4 Kha 2475 and Sa 1 Ta 2277 at Bishwokarma Chowk in Janakpur Municipality. Ten agitators were injured when they clashed with armed police at Pathiya Bazaar of Janakpur. Injured students have been identified as ANNISU-R's Mahesh Singh and NSU's Birendra Adhikari. NSU's district vice chairperson Manish Kumar Jha and ANNISU-R's Rajiv Yadav among other were also injured in the clash, student unions said.  

Ramechhap representative Nawaraj Pathik reported that students enforced traffic strike for two hours starting from 8 am in Manthali.

Nuwakot representative Keshav Mishra reported that markets in various places including Bidur, Battar, Trishuli, Kaloni, Betrawati, Dhikure, Kharanitar and Samundratar areas remained shut due to the bandh. Kailali representative Sur Bahadur Pariyar and Kanchanpur representative Komal Niranjan Bhat reported similar effects of bandh in the respective districts.

Dang representative Shalikram Mushaphir said that agitating students burnt down the question papers of Grade XI and XII alleging that exam was conducted at Padmodaya Public Higher Secondary School in Ghorahi defying the bandh. 

Chitwan representative Sabitri Sapkota reported that agitating students did not let vehicles ply in the street. They set fire on a motorbike plated Na 1 Ba 1644 at Bharatpur  and vandalized another bike Na 1 Ba 8517 in the district today.

Pyuthan representative Rabindra Pandey reported that the SLC Send Up Test being conducted in the schools was affected due to the bandh in the district.

Banke representative Narayan Subedi reported that agitating students imposed traffic strike for two hours starting from 10 am. Students, alleging that the strike was defied, had vandalized two motorbikes in Nepalgunj.

While, Sindhuli representative Ananda Dahal reported that Tek Bahadur Bishwokarma, 36 of KamalamaiN.P.6 and Narendra Das, a timber worker were injured when police pushed them from the ground where they were watching a football match in the district headquarters. Bishwokarma's leg was fractured while Das sustained injuries to his back. District Hospital said that their condition is normal. Irate students had vandalized a bus plated Na 4 Kha 2427 heading to Sindhuli from Marin and another vehicle Na 2 Cha 458 heading to Sindhuli from Bardibas, police said.

On January 19, the Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) had hiked the prices of petroleum products. Protesting the price hike of petro products and demanding the government to withdraw its decision, student unions affiliated to various political parties have been staging agitation.