Dhaka, Jan 21 – Twenty lakh doses of Covid-19 vaccine gifted by India reached Dhaka on Thursday.
A chartered flight of Air India carrying the vaccine landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 11:21 am, said additional SP of Airport Armed Police Alamgir Hossain. Indian Minister of External Affairs Dr S Jaishankar tweeted on “VaccineMaitri” saying that India reaffirms the highest priority to its relations with Bangladesh.
Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Vikram Kumar Doraiswami handed over the vaccine to Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen and Health Minister Zahid Maleque at a ceremony at state guesthouse Padma on Thursday afternoon.
State Minister for Foreign Affairs M Shahriar Alam was, among others, present.
It is part of commitment made at the highest level – Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi — and as part of ‘Neighbourhood First policy’, said the Indian High Commissioner.
He said Bangladesh and India will fight the disease together as friends.
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen on Wednesday said there would be enough doses of the vaccine in Bangladesh with 70 lakh ones of Covishield coming from India on Thursday.
Asked whether Bangladesh will get vaccines as gifts from other countries, Dr Momen said he was not aware of it but more countries, including Russia and China, are interested in providing vaccines.
On January 18, Health Minister Zahid Maleque said Bangladesh would receive the first consignment of Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine by this month.
“As per the guideline of the World Health Organization, we’ll vaccinate those first who’re working with risks. Also, elderly people will get more priority. People below the age of 18 won’t get the vaccine,” the minister said.
“The government is also in talks with Russia, China and others to collect more vaccines.”
On January 14, Maleque said, “Bangladesh can now store up to 150 million doses of the vaccine. So, there’ll not be any problem when 40-50 million doses come from India.”
“The Directorate General of Drug Administration (DGDA) will strictly monitor the vaccination process to prevent irregularities. A ‘vaccine bulletin’ will be published regularly by the Health Ministry,” the minister said.
“Around 42,000 health workers are being trained for vaccination and an app for vaccine registration and distribution is at the final stage under the ICT Ministry.”
On January 7, the government approved the emergency use of the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine.
The approval allows Beximco Pharmaceuticals to bring doses from the Serum Institute of India, which is manufacturing the vaccine, Mohammad Salahuddin, deputy director of the DGDA, said.
Under the deal, Bangladesh will import 3 crore doses of SARS-Cov-2 AZD 1222 (Oxford-Astrazeneca vaccine) from Serum over the next six months.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday thanked her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi for sending the Oxford vaccine produced in India as a gift for Bangladesh.
“I’m thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi for sending the vaccine as a gift,” she said, adding that the procured vaccine will come soon from India as planned.
The Prime Minister said this while virtually addressing an international conference titled ‘Celebrating the 100 Years of the University of Dhaka: Reflections from the Alumni – International and National’ on the occasion of the university’s birth centenary with a theme, ‘Achieving Sustainable Goals and Building a University Suitable for Fourth Industrial Revolution and Creating Skilled Human Resources’.
Education Minister Dr Dipu Moni addressed the opening ceremony as a special gust while prominent economist Rehman Sobhan presented the keynote speech, held at the university’s Nabab Nawab Ali Chowdhury Senate Bhaban with Vice-chancellor Prof Dr Md Akhtaruzzaman in the chair.
DU Pro-VC (Academic) ASM Maksud Kamal gave the vote of thanks while Pro-VC (Administration) Mohammad Samad read out the citation on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Earlier, Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Vikram Kumar Doraiswami handed over the Covid-19 vaccine to Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen and Health Minister Zahid Maleque at a ceremony at State guesthouse Padma on Thursday afternoon. State Minister for Foreign Affairs M Shahriar Alam was, among others, present.
The Foreign Minister said the arrival of 20 lakh doses of Oxford vaccine from India shows the sign of strong relations and goodwill between Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi.
“It’s a historic day. They’ve (Hasina and Modi) achieved such a goodwill and strong relations! It shows the sign of that bonding,” he said after receiving the Oxford University and AstraZeneca vaccine as gift from India.
The Foreign Minister said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina from the day one laid emphasis on partnership and collaboration in dealing with the Covid-19 situation.
“Today’s gift from India is the sign of partnership, cooperation and collaboration,” Dr Momen said adding that collaboration, cooperation and partnership is very essential for each country in the world.
He said many developed countries are yet to get the vaccine and Bangladesh is one of its earliest recipients in the world.
Reiterating the highest priority India attaches to Bangladesh under India’s Neighbourhood First Policy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 17 assured that vaccines would be made available to Bangladesh as and when produced in India.
Both Prime Minister Hasina and her Indian counterpart Modi also noted the ongoing bilateral collaboration between the private sectors in this area.
Referring to Bloomberg media, Foreign Minister Dr Momen and State Minister Shahriar Alam said Bangladesh have become number one in terms of Covid-19 management in South Asia.
Indian Minister of External Affairs Dr S Jaishankar tweeted on “VaccineMaitri”, saying that India reaffirms the highest priority to its relations with Bangladesh.
It is part of commitment made at the highest level — Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi — and as part of ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy, said Indian High Commissioner Doraiswami.
He said Bangladesh and India will fight the disease together as friends.
Another 50 lakh doses of the vaccine from India are expected to arrive within this month.
Some 50 lakh doses of the vaccine are scheduled to arrive in each of the next six months as per the agreement.- UNB
