“....Bangladesh is our priority, that assurance you have already. The exact schedule, we’ll communicate with your government first. That’s being done,” he told reporters after attending a function in the city.

He said the government [of Bangladesh] has to have the arrangement first. "As soon as the government indicates that everything is ready, we will work accordingly."

Reiterating the highest priority India attaches to Bangladesh under India’s Neighbourhood First Policy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during a Summit meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on December 17 last year, assured that vaccines would be made available to Bangladesh as and when produced in India.

Also read: Bangladesh’s Covid-19 vaccine storage capacity 140-150m: Health Minister

On Saturday India launched its own vaccination programme, which aims to vaccinate more than 1.3 billion people against Covid-19, reports BBC.

India has recorded the second-highest number of Covid-19 infections in the world after the United States.

Also read: Covid-19: Bangladesh allows emergency use of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine

Millions of doses of two approved vaccines - Covishield and Covaxin - were shipped across the country in the days leading up to the start of the drive.

"We are launching the world's biggest vaccination drive and it shows the world our capability," Modi, said, addressing the country on Saturday morning.

Also read: Covid-19: Globe Biotech gets nod to manufacture vaccine for clinical trial

The Indian High Commissioner said their Prime Minister assured that neighbors will get the vaccine first and in that list Bangladesh is a priority country.

“Bangladesh will get it urgently as we rolled out the vaccination programme,” he said, mentioning that the process is underway.

Also read: SII & Bharat Biotech confirm: No ban on vaccine export from India

The envoy said as soon as the government indicates everything is ready, they will work accordingly.

The High Commissioner said vaccination is everybody’s right and they will make sure their partners get it quickly.

Also read: Bangladesh to get Oxford Covid vaccine on time as per deal: Beximco

Bangladesh has a deal with Serum Institute, India (SII) SII through local pharma giant Beximco Pharmaceuticals for 30 million doses of the said vaccine.