# B. P. Koirala

_Nepalese politician and writer (1914-1982)_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/b-p-koirala
Last updated: 2026-10-09

> Bishweshwar Prasad Koirala, was a Nepalese revolutionary, statesman, politician, novelist, and one of the founding leaders of the Nepali Congress. He was the first democratically elected Prime Minister of Nepal, serving from 1959 to 1960, until the royal coup of 1960 led by King Mahendra. He played a leading role in Nepal’s democratic movements, particularly the 1950–1951 revolution, which brought an end to the 104-year-long Rana rule of Nepal. He was the brother of former prime ministers Matrika Prasad Koirala and Girija Prasad Koirala. He was also the grandfather of Bollywood actors Manisha Koirala and Siddharth Koirala.

## Quick facts

- **Born:** 8 September 1914 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q560515#P569))
- **Place of birth:** Varanasi ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q560515#P19))
- **Died:** 21 July 1982 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q560515#P570))
- **Place of death:** Kathmandu ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q560515#P20))
- **Citizenship:** Nepal ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q560515#P27))
- **Occupation:** politician; writer ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q560515#P106))
- **Political party:** Nepali Congress ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q560515#P102))
- **Education:** Scottish Church College; University of Calcutta; Banaras Hindu University; Harish Chandra Postgraduate College ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q560515#P69))
- **Spouse:** Sushila Koirala ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q560515#P26))

## Public office

- Officeholder record: https://diginpl.com/next/explore/person/bishweshwar-prasad-koirala

## Career

- The Koiralas along with other detainees were kept in a Kathmandu bungalow but were soon released after a 27-day hunger strike, popular protests, and at the request of Mahatma Gandhi in August 1947. ([University of California Press](https://books.google.com/books?id=MX22o4PJ3Q0C&pg=PA543))
- Many of them were released after a few months, but Koirala, though he was suffering from throat cancer, was kept imprisoned without trial until 1968. ([himalbooks.com](http://himalbooks.com/shop/products/B.P.-Koirala%E2%80%99s-Atmabrittanta%3A-Late-Life-Recollections.html))
- Koirala was in self-exile in Banaras, India until December 1976. ([India Today](https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/indiascope/story/19770615-king-birendra-of-nepal-in-a-fix-over-former-pm-b.p.-koiralas-release-823779-2014-08-19))
- Koirala, however, was arrested immediately upon his return from exile in 1976 and charged with the capital offence of attempting armed revolution. ([विश्वेश्वरप्रसाद कोइरालाको कहानी](https://annapurnapost.com/news/144142))

## Key decisions and achievements

- Also, various programs are organized in Nepal as well as outside Nepal to remember his selfless contributions to Nepal. ([himalayatv.com](http://himalayatv.com/news/2015/07/22/country-remembers-bp-koirala-for-his-contribution/:en), [SpotlightNepal.com](http://www.spotlightnepal.com/News/Article/nepal-india-bp-koirala), [spotlightnepal.com](http://www.spotlightnepal.com/News/Article/B-P--Koirala%E2%80%99s-National-Reconciliation-Relevant-Fo))

_Cited sentences quoted from Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=B._P._Koirala&oldid=1379187413), CC BY-SA 4.0._

## Questions

**When was B. P. Koirala born?**  
B. P. Koirala was born on 8 September 1914 in Varanasi.

**Where did B. P. Koirala study?**  
B. P. Koirala was educated at Scottish Church College, University of Calcutta, Banaras Hindu University, Harish Chandra Postgraduate College.

## Related

- [Kathmandu](https://diginpl.com/places/kathmandu)
- [Varanasi](https://diginpl.com/places/varanasi)
- [Sushila Koirala](https://diginpl.com/people/sushila-koirala)

## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): B. P. Koirala](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B._P._Koirala) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikipedia (Nepali): विश्वेश्वरप्रसाद कोइराला](https://ne.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%B6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B5%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%B6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%AA%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A6_%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%87%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B2%E0%A4%BE) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q560515](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q560515) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- [Image: BP Koirala.jpg by Unknown author Unknown author (Public domain)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:BP_Koirala.jpg)
- [Wikipedia (English), revision used for cited facts: B. P. Koirala](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=B._P._Koirala&oldid=1379187413) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [University of California Press: Democratic Innovations in Nepal: A Case Study of Political Acculturation](https://books.google.com/books?id=MX22o4PJ3Q0C&pg=PA543)
- [himalbooks.com: B.P. Koirala's Atmabrittanta: Late Life Recollections](http://himalbooks.com/shop/products/B.P.-Koirala%E2%80%99s-Atmabrittanta%3A-Late-Life-Recollections.html)
- [India Today: King Birendra of Nepal in a fix over former PM B.P. Koirala's release (August 19, 1977)](https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/indiascope/story/19770615-king-birendra-of-nepal-in-a-fix-over-former-pm-b.p.-koiralas-release-823779-2014-08-19)
- [विश्वेश्वरप्रसाद कोइरालाको कहानी: विश्वेश्वरप्रसाद कोइरालाको कहानी](https://annapurnapost.com/news/144142)
- [himalayatv.com: Country remembers BP Koirala for his contribution](http://himalayatv.com/news/2015/07/22/country-remembers-bp-koirala-for-his-contribution/:en)
- [SpotlightNepal.com: B.P. Koirala remembered Indian ambassador Rae highlighted B.P. Koirala's contribution](http://www.spotlightnepal.com/News/Article/nepal-india-bp-koirala)
- [spotlightnepal.com: B.P. Koirala's National Reconciliation Relevant Forever](http://www.spotlightnepal.com/News/Article/B-P--Koirala%E2%80%99s-National-Reconciliation-Relevant-Fo)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article B. P. Koirala, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: BP Koirala.jpg — Unknown author Unknown author, Public domain.

## Cite this page

"B. P. Koirala". DigiNepal. Last updated 9 October 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/b-p-koirala. Retrieved 21 October 2026.