According to the Nepali Comprehensive Dictionary published by the Nepal Pragya Pratisthan, a martyr is a person who sacrifices his life for the protection of his country, culture, and existence and for the attainment of freedom.

Lately, there have been protests saying that anyone has been declared a martyr. There is no clear criterion of martyrdom even if there is a protest against declaring a person who has been involved in an incident or accident as a martyr as an insult to the country. There have been various comments on the announced martyrs. It seems that there is competition among the political parties for the declaration of martyrdom. Although two commissions have been formed to clarify the definition of martyrs and prepare a list, satisfactory work has not been done.

Lakhan Thapa is considered to be the first martyr of Nepal. Thapa was hanged from a tree near the Manakamana temple in Gorkha on February 11, 1877, on charges of spreading propaganda against the then Rana Prime Minister Jung Bahadur Rana. Thapa was serving in the then military platoon. However, Thapa was declared a martyr during the tenure of Prime Minister Sushil Koirala on September 20, 2015.