Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) has urged the government to ensure maximum transparency in the procurement, collection and distribution of Covid-19 vaccines.

BNP on Monday alleged that an arrangement has been made for “plundering public money by government-backed businesspeople” in the name of procuring coronavirus vaccine.

The much-sought Covid-19 vaccination in Bangladesh will start in the first week of February, said Director General of the Health Services (DGHS) Prof Abul Bashar Mohammad Khurshid Alam.

The government has approved the first revision of the Covid-19 Emergency Response and Pandemic Preparedness Project, raising its cost by Tk 5,659.07 crore mainly for the procurement, preservation and distribution of Covid vaccines.

Coronavirus has claimed 20 more lives and infected another 991 people in 24 hours across the country till Tuesday morning.

Jatiya Party Chairman GM Quader, MP on Tuesday urged the government to take immediate steps for procuring coronavirus vaccines from alternative sources if there is any problem to collect it from India in time.

Bangladesh will receive the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine from the Serum Institute of India Pvt Ltd on time, Health Minister Zahid Maleque assured the people on Monday.

As vaccinating millions of people across the country to control Covid-19 looks to be a daunting task, the government has prepared a masterplan and necessary guidelines to do the job properly.

Bangladesh will get Covid-19 vaccines for some 4.5 crore people by May-June next year, Cabinet Secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam said Monday.