India, depending on the scale of production of vaccines within the country, is aiming at July-end or August to at least release those vaccines that have been bought by Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal and are now in pending status, reported The Print on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Vikram Kumar Doraiswami had an "informal meeting" with State Minister for Foreign Affairs M Shahriar Alam on Wednesday at his office at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. However, neither side revealed what they discussed. Also read: Let's see what can be done, have patience: PM about vaccine management Bangladesh entered into a deal with the Serum Institute of India (SII) to purchase 30 million doses of a potential vaccine being developed by AstraZeneca for Covid-19. Bangladesh was supposed to get five million doses of vaccine per month as the SII and Bangladesh’s Beximco Pharma signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for priority delivery of the vaccine doses. Also read: Bangladesh rolls out Pfizer vaccine at 3 Dhaka centers Bangladesh sought at least 3 million doses of vaccine under the agreement to address the immediate demand in Bangladesh. Bangladesh has so far received only 7 million of Oxford-AstraZeneca covid-19 vaccine doses produced by Serum Institute of India (SII) through its contract. Bangladesh also received 3.3 million doses of vaccine as a bilateral partnership gift.

India is boosting its production of Covid-19 vaccine, but there is no word yet when it can resume its export of the jabs to Bangladesh, the country’s high commissioner in Dhaka said on Sunday. “We hope the problem will be resolved soon,” High Commissioner Vikram Doraiswami told reporters after a meeting with Awami Jubo League Chairman Fazle Shams Parash at the central office of Awami League. The Indian envoy said: "We are increasing corona vaccine production. The corona situation in India is still at a dangerous stage. So we are not yet able to say the exact time of giving corona vaccine to Bangladesh," Also read: Bangladesh to start administering Pfizer vaccine doses Monday Parash recalled India’s crucial help during the 1971 Liberation War and said India has always been by Bangladesh side in everything. “India is our friend of bad days and partner in good days as well,” he said. Parash said that he discussed with the Indian envoy the corona and the current situation in India. Also read: Bangladesh rolls out Sinopharm vaccine Doraiswami watched two documentaries on the humanitarian activities of the Juba League during the corona crisis.  Juba League general secretary Mainul Hossain Khan Nikhil and other leaders and workers of the central committee were present during the envoy’s visit.

Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech have jointly communicated their pledge towards a smooth roll out of Covid-19 vaccines to India and the world.