The Polish government has provided 3.2 million AstraZeneca vaccine doses to Bangladesh expressing solidarity to the friendly country’s fight against Covid-19 pandemic.

Prof Adam Burakowski, the Ambassador of Poland to Bangladesh (resident in New Delhi), handed over the token vaccine doses to Bangladesh side at a ceremony held at state guesthouse Padma on Wednesday.

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Lokman Hussain Mia, Senior Secretary of Health Services Division under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare of the Government of Bangladesh and Rear Admiral (retd) Md Khurshed Alam, Secretary, MAU and acting Foreign Secretary, received the gifts from the Ambassador at the Padma State Guest House a simple ceremony.

The Polish gesture covers a consignment containing 3272, 880 doses of the Covid-19 vaccine (Oxford AstraZeneca) as well as their transport to Dhaka through their own arrangement.

Due to the size, the consignment is being sent in three batches.

The first batch (1027,290 doses of vaccine) arrived on Wednesday and the second batch (920,790 doses of vaccine) will arrive on Thursday.

The third one (1324,800 doses of vaccine) will arrive on November 14.

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The Polish Ambassador said the Covid vaccines are a donation to the government of Bangladesh by the government of Poland as a gesture of friendship to Bangladesh.

He expressed the hope that both the countries would soon be able to overcome the pandemic through shared efforts.

The acting Foreign Secretary thanked the government of Poland for standing by Bangladesh and mentioned that the friendly gesture would further strengthen the existing bilateral relationship between the friendly countries.

He also appreciated the support of Poland in such a time when the government of Bangladesh planned to inoculate its population.

The handing over ceremony was followed by lunch hosted by the acting Foreign Secretary.