Bangladesh's Election Commission

Bangladesh EC Ensures Robust Preparations Amid Oppo’s Strike Threats

Ashok Kumar Debnath, Additional Secretary of Bangladesh’s Election Commission Secretariat, while unveiling critical details regarding the upcoming general elections, outlined the comprehensive preparations in place to mitigate potential disruptions, especially in light of the strike called by the main opposition party, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).

In an exclusive interview with ANI, Debnath said that the prime focus was on the safety and security of voters.

Ahead of the general elections set to be held on Sunday in Bangladesh, the country’s opposition party, the BNP, staged a massive protest in Dhaka’s Paltan area today.

Protestors expressed their refusal to engage in the electoral process unless a caretaker government is in place. The protestors, chanting slogans in Bengali, emphasised that elections are not a mere child’s play.

BNP has issued a call for a 48-hour nationwide ‘hartal’ (general strike) commencing today to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s “illegal government.” Under the leadership of former Bangladesh PM Khaleda Zia, the BNP decided to boycott the general election scheduled for January 7.

The second day of the strike coincides with tomorrow’s election, which has already gathered global attention.

However, in response to potential disruptions, particularly the strikes called by certain political parties, Debnath assured the public that the Election Commission is fully prepared.

“Yes, some political parties have called strikes and are restraining themselves from contesting the elections. They will obstruct voters going to the polling station. Nevertheless, we have all sorts of preparations. We are motivating voters through print and electronic media so that all kinds of security are provided for the voters and they cast their vote freely. There is no apprehension of any sort of chaos or anything else,” he said.

“We have around 8 lakh security personnel, including police, army, navy, coast guard, and BGB (Border Guard of Bangladesh). They are patrolling the area,” he added.

Debnath also said that the army has been deployed, as it is a customary practice in Bangladesh elections, so as to instil confidence and enhance law and order.

“Not only army, the armed forces, Navy, Air Force. Six helicopters are providing support for carrying the election materials to the vote centres, especially in the hilly area where motorable roads are not available,” the Election Commission official noted.

The army’s presence is intended to create a sense of security for voters, thereby encouraging their participation, he said.

“Army is deployed to create some sorts of assurance for the voters. If the army is deployed, there will be a better law-and-order situation. In this situation, people will get assurance to go to the vote centres and cast votes,” he also said.

Debnath also confirmed that all necessary preparations have been completed, with election materials dispatched to polling stations. While most ballot papers are scheduled for delivery tomorrow, 4,000 remote polling stations will receive them today due to logistical constraints.

The remaining election materials, including ballot boxes and seals, are already en route to various polling locations.

Highlighting key figures, Debnath disclosed that about 12 crore registered voters are eligible to participate in the elections.

Out of the 44 registered political parties, 28 are actively contesting, presenting a total of 1,971 candidates.

Notably, this election marks a historic moment as one transgender candidate participates for the first time in the country’s electoral history. “This is the first time that transgender people are contesting in this election in the history of Bangladesh,” said Debnath.

Concluding the interview, Debnath appealed to voters to cast votes, assuring them that the Election Commission has taken all necessary measures to guarantee a smooth and secure electoral process.

“There are no apprehensions of any mismanagement, and all voters should come freely to the vote centres and cast their vote as per their will,” he added.

As Bangladesh braces for the upcoming general elections, the Election Commission remains steadfast in its commitment to ensuring a fair, secure, and inclusive democratic process despite challenges posed by political strikes and opposition resistance. (ANI)

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2024 Lok Sabha elections BJP

BJP Gears Up For 2024 Elections, Nadda, Khattar Hold Roadshow In Haryana

In a mega poll push, ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Bhartiya Janata Party President JP Nadda along with Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar held a massive roadshow in Panchkula.

Nadda, who is on a tour to Haryana for second time in three days, conducted a 1.5 kilometre stretch roadshow from Tank Chowk to Bellavista Chowk

Earlier, on Friday the BJP President had held a mega roadshow in Himachal Pradesh’s Solan district. A huge crowd of supporters danced and cheered his motorcade.

In his address in Himachal, Nadda said that not a single promise had been fulfilled by the Congress government in the state.

He said that Congress got wiped out in the assembly elections of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan and this has happened because of the unwavering faith of the people towards Prime Minister Modi.

Earlier this week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a massive roadshow in Kerala’s Thrissur. BJP state president K Surendran and actor-turned-politician Suresh Gopi accompanied the Prime Minister in his motorcade.

Addressing the crowd in Kerala’s Thrissur, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Launched a series of attacks on the INDIA bloc. “INDI alliance only knows one thing, INDI alliance keeps hurting our faith, they made our temples and festivals, mediums for loot. The kind of politics that is being played with ‘Thrissur Pooram’ is unfortunate. The kind of mismanagement that has come to light in Sabarimala, devotees are facing a lot of inconvenience. This is the proof of inability of the state government here,” PM Modi said in his address at the ‘Sthree Shakti Modikkoppam’ event at Thekkinkadu in Kerala.

The BJP has geared up for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, however, the Congress is also leaving no stones un-turned.

Earlier in December, Congress party leader Sachin Pilot held the ‘Hain Taiyyar Hum’ rally in Nagpur and exuded confidence in the party’s victory in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

“The INDIA alliance and Congress Party are absolutely ready for the upcoming elections. The unprecedented public support we got in Nagpur further boosted our morale, and the INDIA alliance will defeat the NDA in 2024,” said Sachin Pilot. (ANI)

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Aditya-L1

Aditya-L1 Enters Final Orbit; India Creates Another Landmark: Modi

In a significant scientific milestone, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Saturday injected Aditya-L1 spacecraft – the first dedicated solar mission – into its final destination orbit.

Prime Minister Narenendra Modi and Minister of State for Science and Technology Jitendra Singh were among leaders who hailed the achievement.

Aditya-L1 has reached Lagrange Point L1, about 1.5 million km from earth.

The PSLV-C57.1 rocket carrying the Aditya-L1 orbiter lifted off successfully from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, in September.

The successful launch of the maiden solar mission of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) came on the heels of the historic lunar landing mission — Chandrayaan-3.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India will continue to pursue new frontiers of science for the benefit of humanity.

“India creates yet another landmark. India’s first solar observatory Aditya-L1 reaches it’s destination. It is a testament to the relentless dedication of our scientists in realising among the most complex and intricate space missions. I join the nation in applauding this extraordinary feat. We will continue to pursue new frontiers of science for the benefit of humanity,” he said in post on X.

Jitendra Singh said Aditya L1 will discover the mysteries of sun-earth connection

“From Moon walk to Sun Dance! What a glorious turn of year for Bharat! Under the visionary leadership of PM @narendramodi, yet another success story scripted by Team #ISRO. #AdityaL1 reaches its final orbit to discover the mysteries of Sun-Earth connection,” he said in a post on X.

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal also congratulated the scientists and said India’s space journey is unstoppable.

“Wings of Fire! Congratulations to the dedicated scientists at @ISRO for successfully inserting Bharat’s first solar observatory #AdityaL1 into its intended destination. First the moon, now the sun… our space journey is unstoppable!

Aditya L1 has seven different payloads on board, to conduct a detailed study of the sun, four of which will observe the light from the sun and the other three will measure in-situ parameters of the plasma and magnetic fields.

The largest and technically most challenging payload on Aditya-L1 is the Visible Emission Line Coronagraph or VELC. VELC was integrated, tested, and calibrated at the Indian Institute of Astrophysics’ CREST (Centre for Research and Education in Science Technology) campus in Hosakote in collaboration with ISRO.

This strategic location will enable Aditya-L1 to continuously observe the sun without being hindered by eclipses or occultation, allowing scientists to study solar activities and their impact on space weather in real-time.

Also, the spacecraft’s data will help identify the sequence of processes that lead to solar eruptive events and contribute to a deeper understanding of space weather drivers.

Major objectives of India’s solar mission include the study of the physics of solar corona and its heating mechanism, the solar wind acceleration, coupling and dynamics of the solar atmosphere, solar wind distribution and temperature anisotropy, and origin of Coronal Mass Ejections (CME) and flares and near-earth space weather. (ANI)

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MV Lila Norfolk off Somalia's coast Navy

Indian Crew Of MV Lila Norfolk Thanks Indian Navy

Indians, who were a part of the crew onboard the hijacked vessel MV Lili Norfolk, thanked the Indian Navy for rescuing them. The Indian Navy on Friday safely evacuated the hijacked vessel MV Lila Norfolk off Somalia’s coast.

In a video posted by the Navy, the crew members can be seen chanting “Bharat Mata ki Jai” and thanking the Indian Navy. One of the Indians who was rescued by the Indian Navy said, “We were stuck for 24 hours. We got relief after the Indian Navy came to rescue them.” Another man said, “Proud of the Indian Navy.”

The Indian Navy’s marine commandos rescued 21 crew members, including 15 Indians, from the hijacked Liberian-flagged vessel MV Lila Norfolk on January 6, 2024.

The crew members were rescued in a swift operation in the North Arabian Sea after armed pirates attempted to hijack the vessel.

In a statement posted on X, the Indian Navy on Friday stated, “Indian Navy’s Swift Response to the Hijacking Attempt of MV Lila Norfolk in the North Arabian Sea. All 21 crew (incl 15 Indians) onboard safely evacuated from the citadel. Sanitisation by MARCOs has confirmed the absence of the hijackers.”

The attempt of hijacking by the pirates was probably abandoned with the forceful warning by the Indian Navy, MPA of interception by Indian Naval warship, the statement read. INS Chennai is in the vicinity of MV and rendering support to restore the power generation and propulsion, and commence her voyage to the next port of call.

Indian Navy’s elite Marine Commandos are still carrying out sanitisation operations in other parts of the vessel, the military officials earlier told ANI.

According to the officials, MARCOS did not find any pirates on the hijacked vessel. The rescued crew has informed that the pirates had fired at the ship during a hijack attempt after which they all hid themselves in the citadel. INS Chennai diverted from her Anti-Piracy patrol and intercepted the MV at 3:15 pm on Friday.

“MV was kept under continuous surveillance using Maritime Patrol Aircraft, Predator MQ9B and integral helos. The Indian Navy Marine Commandos present onboard the Mission Deployed warship boarded the MV and have commenced the Sanitisation,” the earlier statement from the Indian Navy stated.

In another development, Indian Navy Chief Admiral R Hari Kumar issued directives to the Indian warships operating in the Arabian Sea to take the “strictest possible action” against the pirates, defence officials said.

Earlier, the officials had informed that Merchant vessel MV Lila Norfolk was hijacked by pirates 300 nautical miles east of Somalia, while it was sailing from Port Du Aco in Brazil and was bound for Khalifa Bin Salman in Bahrain.

The Indian Navy’s Mission Deployed Platforms responded swiftly to the hijacking attempt on board a Liberian-flagged bulk carrier after it received a message on the UKMTO portal indicating boarding by approximately five to six unknown armed personnel on Thursday evening, the Indian Navy said in a statement.

In response to the situation, the Indian Navy launched a Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) and diverted INS Chennai, deployed for maritime security operations, to assist the vessel. (ANI)

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COVID-19

India Records 774 New Covid Cases

India recorded 774 fresh cases of COVID-19 in the last 24 hours according to the Union Health Ministry.

As per official data, two deaths have been reported in the country in the last 24 hours – one each in Gujarat and Tamil Nadu.

With this, the total count of coronavirus cases in India since its outbreak in January 2020 has reached 4,50,17,431 with an increase of 774 cases in the last 24 hours. The death toll due to COVID-19 cases in India has risen to, 5,33,387 reflecting an increase of two deaths in the last 24 hours.

The total number of COVID-19 cases that have recovered in India are 4,44,79,804, an increase of 919 since yesterday morning.

34,660 tests were done on 5 January 2024, as per the official report by the Indian Council of Medical Research.

A total of 220,67,81,345 vaccinations have been completed in India uptill now since the outbreak of the virus.

As per the official data by the Ministry of Health, the maximum number of cases have been reported from Southern India among which 1169 cases have been reported in Karnataka, 1160 in Kerala, 188 in Tamil Nadu and 931 in Maharashtra.

Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj earlier said that there is such a pattern that after the increase in Corona cases in South India, the cases also increased in North India.

He urged citizens not to panic but emphasized the importance of taking precautions.

“All the positive cases coming in RTPCR test, we are sending those samples for genome sequencing. Currently, there is not a single positive case of the new variant in Delhi,” stated Minister Bhardwaj, providing insight into the rigorous testing and monitoring procedures in place. (ANI)

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Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party

Rayudu Throws Political Curveball, Quits YSRCP

In a startling twist, the Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party faced a substantial setback as cricket sensation Ambati Rayudu, quit YSRCP a week after joining the party.

Taking to Twitter, Rayudu declared, “I have decided to quit the YSRCP Party and stay out of politics for a little while. Further action will be conveyed in due course of time.”

The unexpected announcement has left YSRCP activists and fans in shock.

This has triggered speculation, leaving many questioning the sudden turn of events and eagerly anticipating the forthcoming details surrounding Rayudu’s departure from the political landscape.

Rayudu was inducted into the party by the YRS Congress president and Andhra Chief Minister, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, on December 28, 2023.

Deputy CM Narayanaswamy and MP Midhun Reddy were also present.

Rayudu announced his entry into politics in June of this year, and in the same month, he also had a meeting with Jagan Mohan Reddy regarding the development of world-class sports infrastructure and education for the underprivileged.

Earlier in April, the former cricketer praised the Andhra CM in a social media post.

“Great speech ..our chief minister, @ysjagan garu.. everyone in the state has complete belief and trust in you sir..” Rayudu posted on X.

The Andhra boy has played 55 ODIs for India, where he scored 1694 runs with an average of 47.05. His best knock was an unbeaten 124 runs. He scored three centuries and 10 fifties in ODI cricket for India. He has also played six T20I matches for India and smashed 42 runs.

He is one of the most successful players in the league’s history due to his immense success as a batter and his trophy count. (ANI)

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Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra Congress

Cong Unveils Logo, Slogan Of ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’

The Congress on Saturday unveiled the logo and slogan of the party’s upcoming ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’ which will be led by party leader Rahul Gandhi.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh and General Secretary KC Venugopal were present for the unveiling event held at All India Congress Committee headquarters in Delhi.

The slogan of the Yatra is “Nyay ka haq milne tak”.

“Under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi, we are starting ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’ from January 14. ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’ is our strong step towards providing economic, social and political justice to the country’s people,” Kharge said.

Kharge attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said he has not visited Manipur which has seen ethnic violence.

“We are going among the people to tell them that there is no other way. We tried to speak in the Parliament and raise the issues. But the Government gave us no opportunity. 146 MPs were suspended for the first time in the history of this country. He at least came to the Lok Sabha but never once did he even take a peek at the Rajya Sabha,” he added.

Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’ will start from Imphal on January 14 and cover a distance of 6,713 kilometres, straddling 100 Lok Sabha constituencies and 337 assembly segments and covering 110 districts.

The march will culminate in Mumbai on March 20 or 21. (ANI)

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Empowering Event Women Panchayat Reps

Parliament Hosts Empowering Event For 500+ Women Panchayat Reps

In a unique move, the Parliament on Friday hosted a programme named ‘Panchayat Se Parliament Tak’ for over 500 women representatives of diverse backgrounds from Panchayats and urban local bodies of different states aimed at empowering and supporting women grassroots leaders.

The awareness programme for women representatives of panchayats and urban local bodies was organised by the Institute of Constitutional Parliamentary Studies (ICPS) in coordination with the National Commission for Women.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla inaugurated the programme in the Central Hall of Samvidhan Sadan.

On this occasion, Birla observed that India is moving from women’s participation in development and women’s empowerment to women-led development and women’s leadership.

In this regard, referring to the recent Nari Shakti Vandan Act, Birla noted that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the government passed the historic Act in the very first session of the new building of Parliament.

The purpose of this Act is to reserve one-third of the total seats in the Lok Sabha and State Legislatures for women, which will prove to be a game-changer in bringing women to leadership roles in the decision-making process, highlighted Birla.

Whereas the distance between the objectives of our Constitution and current realities on gender equality is yet to be completely bridged, the recent initiatives of the Government have provided equal opportunities to women to bring them into the mainstream in political, economic and social life, Birla further added.

Mentioning India’s glorious economic journey, Birla said that today India is setting the agenda for the world. Indian women and youth are playing an important role in the economic development of other countries. In this regard, he stressed making our villages self-reliant to accelerate the pace of economic development in the country. Referring to Mahatma Gandhi, Birla noted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is realising the vision of Mahatma Gandhi in rural development.

Speaking on women’s development, Birla noted that women are at the forefront of development in all fields. However, we need to bridge the gap so that the current pace of development is accelerated, he said.

Without gender equality, it will be difficult to achieve the current challenges of poverty alleviation, economic growth, sustainable development and environmental protection, he added.

Birla called for making panchayats as agents of change at the village level and observed that panchayats are emerging as the lifeblood of rural development.

He also urged them to share the best practices among themselves. Observing that panchayats have been given the responsibility of formulating and implementing plans for economic development and social justice, he noted that they have an important role in the effective and efficient implementation of flagship programs for the rejuvenation of rural India.

Therefore, it is necessary to have a strong panchayat to build a self-reliant village. The stronger the panchayat system is, the more powerful each person under it will be and only then will the foundation of democracy be strengthened, asserted Birla.

As public representatives, women sarpanchs’ role is to strengthen democracy and give shape to the hopes and aspirations of rural people. Panchayats should set their priorities, formulate their own plans and implement them with the participation of villagers and their elected representatives or leaders, emphasised Birla.

Mentioning India’s democracy, Birla said that since ancient times, democracy has been in our thinking, ideology and thinking style. It has been our culture to make decisions through collective discussion and dialogue. Amidst the diversities, democracy binds us together, he added. (ANI)

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Indian Navy Somalia

Indian Navy Rescues All 21 Crew Of Hijacked Vessel Off Somalia Coast

After a high-voltage drama in the high seas, all 21 crew members including 15 Indian nationals from the hijacked vessel MV Lila Norfolk off Somalia coast were safely evacuated by the Indian Navy on Friday.

“Indian Navy’s Swift Response to the Hijacking Attempt of MV Lila Norfolk in the North Arabian Sea. All 21 crew (incl 15 Indians) onboard safely evacuated from the citadel. Sanitisation by MARCOs has confirmed absence of the hijackers,” the Indian Navy said in a statement.

The attempt of hijacking by the pirates was probably abandoned with the forceful warning by the Indian Navy, MPA of interception by Indian Naval warship, the statement read.

INS Chennai is in the vicinity of MV and rendering support to restore the power generation and propulsion, and commence her voyage to next port of call.

Indian Navy’s elite Marine Commandos are still carrying out sanitisation operations in other parts of the vessel, the military officials told ANI.

According to the officials, MARCOS didn’t found any pirates on the hijacked vessel. The rescued crew has informed that the pirates had fired at the ship during hijack attempt after which they all hid themselves in the citadel.

INS Chennai diverted from her Anti-Piracy patrol and intercepted the MV at 3:15 pm on Friday.

“MV was kept under continuous surveillance using Maritime Patrol Aircraft, Predator MQ9B and integral helos. The Indian Navy Marine Commandos present onboard the Mission Deployed warship boarded the MV and have commenced the Sanitisation,” the earlier statement from Indian Navy stated.

In another development, Indian Navy Chief Admiral R Hari Kumar issued directives to the Indian warships operating in the Arabian Sea to take the “strictest possible action” against the pirates, defence officials said.

Earlier, the Indian naval warship INS Chennai reached the hijacked vessel MV Lila Norfolk off Somalia coast and issued a warning to the pirates on board to abandon the vessel

Earlier, the officials had informed that Merchant vessel MV Lila Norfolk was hijacked by pirates 300 nautical miles east of Somalia, while it was sailing from Port Du Aco in Brazil and was bound for Khalifa Bin Salman in Bahrain.

The Indian Navy’s Mission Deployed Platforms responded swiftly to the hijacking attempt on board a Liberian-flagged bulk carrier after it received a message on the UKMTO portal indicating boarding by approximately five to six unknown armed personnel on Thursday evening, the Indian Navy said in a statement

In response to the situation, the Indian Navy launched an Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) and diverted INS Chennai, deployed for maritime security operations, to assist the vessel. (ANI)

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T20 World Cup India Pakistan

ICC Announces 2024 T20 WC Schedule, India VS Pak On June 9

A new chapter will unfold in one of the oldest rivalries in cricket history as India will square off against Pakistan on June 9 in New York as the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Friday announced the schedule for the upcoming T20 World Cup.

ICC announced the schedule for the competition on Friday.

The tournament will kick off on June 1 and will be co-hosted by the West Indies and the US. India have been placed in Group A alongside Ireland, Pakistan, Canada and the US.

Ten of the 20 teams will play their first match of the 29-day tournament in the USA, with 16 contests to be held in Lauderhill, Dallas and New York and the blockbuster clash between India and Pakistan scheduled for the new Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in Long Island on 9 June.

The US will play Canada in the opening game on June 1 while fellow hosts the West Indies will play Papua New Guinea in Guyana on the second day of group play.

The Men in Blue will open their campaign against Ireland on June 5. Their second game of the tournament will be against arch-rival Pakistan on June 9. The final two games will be against Canada and USA on June 12 and June 15 respectively.

This time 20 teams will take part in the T20 World Cup which is more than the 16 that took part in the 2022 tournament in Australia. The top two teams from each group will proceed to the Super 8 stage.

The 55 games of the competition will be played across six different venues in the West Indies (Kensington Oval, Barbados; Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Trinidad; Providence Stadium, Guyana; Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, Antigua; Darren Sammy Cricket Ground, St Lucia; Arnos Vale Stadium, St Vincent) and three venues in the USA (Eisenhower Park, New York; Lauderhill, Florida; and Grand Prairie, Texas).

The Group Stage will be played from June 1 to June 18. The Super 8 stage will be played from June 19 to June 24.

The final four stage – semi-finals will be played on June 26 and June 27. The tournament will conclude on June 29.

Group B consists of the last two winners of the Men’s T20 World Cup in England and Australia, with the pair to take on Namibia, Scotland and Oman.

The West Indies are placed into Group C alongside New Zealand, Afghanistan, Uganda and Papua New Guinea, while Group D sees South Africa, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Netherlands and Nepal fixtured against each other.

T20 World Cup Groups:

Group A: India, Pakistan, Ireland, Canada, USA

Group B: England, Australia, Namibia, Scotland, Oman

Group C: New Zealand, West Indies, Afghanistan, Uganda, Papua New Guinea

Group D: South Africa, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Netherlands, Nepa.l (ANI)

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