COVID-19 vaccine Bangladesh
China to deliver 6 lakh doses of vaccine as gift by June 13
China will deliver second consignment of Covid-19 vaccine doses for Bangladesh as a gift of the Chinese government in the second week of June.
Hualong Yan, Deputy Chief of Mission at the Chinese Embassy in Dhaka in a Facebook post on Saturday said 600,000 doses of vaccine gifted by the Chinese government are ready for delivery by June 13.
Read: Administering of Chinese Covid-19 vaccine to begin on May
"It's sincerely hoped that our Bangladeshi brothers and sisters will get the most needed vaccines at earlier date," he said.
Just nine days after the arrival of the first batch of 500,000 doses of gift vaccine in Bangladesh, China announced the provision of the second batch of gift vaccine doses to Bangladesh.
China says it fully reflects that China attaches great importance to the friendly relations between the two countries.
Read: Bangladesh begins administering 1st dose of Chinese vaccine
Just wondering why there is always false information from Bangladeshi side, if media's report is correct.
Vaccination for all to help achieve GDP target: DCCI
Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) has said the country needs to control Covid transmission and ensure vaccination for all if the government wants to achieve the targeted 7.2 percent GDP in the proposed budget.
“Proposed budget is by and large inclusive and pro-people,” said DCCI President Rizwan Rahman thanking the government for reducing corporate tax both for listed and non-listed companies.
Read: DCCI for SME act, new definition of CMSMEs
He said it will help boost investment. But he suggested reducing it at a progressive rate of 2.5% in FY2022-23 and FY2023-24.
In its initial reaction, the chamber body President said the budget is a big one with an aim to economic recovery and effort to balance between lives and livelihood.
The proposed budget for FY2021-22 was announced on Thursday with a GDP target of 7.2% and inflation of 5.3%.
Read: Export diversification: DCCI for comprehensive trade policy
This year’s budget is 12.43% bigger than the revised budget of the last fiscal. In order to achieve the targeted GDP, all aspects of the economy have to perform better, which is challenging given the world-wide economic scenario, said the DCCI.
The budget tried to keep a balance between lives and livelihood, it said but the government may rethink the revenue target as it would be a great challenge to implement such a big budget considering the overall Covid situation.
The DCCI said the government has given importance to most of the proposals of DCCI especially increasing time limit for income tax and VAT return, reducing corporate tax and other taxes, engaging government owned schedule banks in SME financing, reducing advance tax on import of raw materials, increasing expenditure in the health sector and more allocation in the social safety net aiming to employment generation.
In the proposed budget, mitigating revenue shortfall, financing and ADP implementation are the biggest challenge, it said.
Since the proposed budget is an expensive one, it is more or less reflecting an inclusive approach through its indication to increase investment, fiscal incentives to the businesses, increased allocation in the health and social safety net programme and focus on economic recovery, said the DCCI.
In some cases the proposed budget slashes tax rate which may fuel investment, said the DCCI President.
The proposed budget allocated an increased amount for health and social safety net measures, which is a good initiative but need to implement ADP in the health sector, he said.
The DCCI President urged to widen the tax net, collection of due taxes, tax collection at the district level and tax automation for more revenue collection.
Mandatory e-TIN for national savings, cooperatives and postal savings will increase tax, said the DCCI.
Proposed budget deficit is 6.2% of GDP which is acceptable, Rizwan said.
New industries like home appliances, light engineering , automobile, ICT got tax exemptions, which is good for industrialization, he said.
The DCCI also recommended creating a strong capital and bond market for long term financing.
Tax exemptions have been given to the private sector to invest in hospitals and clinics for 10 years, he hailed the decision.
The DCCI chief said the automobile industry especially for 3 and 4 wheelers will get a boost as for local manufacturers, they will get 20 years tax benefits.
He also requested to rationalize advance income tax on export oriented RMG, jute and jute goods, agro processing and API raw materials.
Covid-19: Govt to vaccinate 25 lakh people each month
With a plan to bring 80 percent people of the country under the mass immunisation programme in phases, Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal on Thursday said the government will vaccinate 25 lakh people each month.
He came up with the announcement while presenting the national budget for the 2021-22 fiscal year in Parliament.
Also Read: Bangladesh's request for vaccine doses under active consideration: Miller
“Plans have been formulated to vaccinate 80 percent of people in phases. In the first phase, people with risks will be vaccinated and 25 lakh vaccines will be given each month,” the minister said.
Referring to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s recent announcement that the government will ensure free vaccination for all, Kamal said they will provide as much fund as it is needed to bear the expenses of procuring the required doses of vaccine. “We’ll make adequate allocation for this purpose in the budget.”
Also Read: COVID-19 vaccine: Bangladesh to get priority if China develops vaccine
He said the vaccination programme is being implemented at the field level through coordination between the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) and the Communication Disease Control (CDC).
Kamal said the National Deployment and Vaccination Plan has been prepared under the EPI to protect the lives of people from Covid-19.
“The government procured 3 crore doses of Covishield vaccine of Oxford-AstraZeneca from the Serum Institute of India. In addition, 6.80 crore doses will be available from the Covax facility under the World Health Organisation for 20 percent of our population, that is, for 3.40 crore people. Out of this 1.06 lakh doses have already been received,” he said.
The minister said there are plans to buy vaccines from the governments of China and Russia, Pfizer Co. from the USA and Sanofi/GSK from France/Belgium. “Negotiations are at the final stage for procuring Sinopharm vaccine from China and Sputnik-V vaccine from Russia, and, if necessary, manufacturing the same in Bangladesh.
Meanwhile, 70 lakh doses of Oxford/AstraZeneca Covishield vaccine reached Bangladesh, and the governments of India and China gave 32 lakh doses and 5 lakh doses respectively of coronavirus vaccine as gifts.
The finance minister said the World Bank provided US$ 500 million for procuring vaccines and US$ 14.87 million for logistic support.
“Loan Agreement for US$ 940 million with the ADB to procure COVID vaccine is at the final stage. Alongside, there is a good possibility to receive support for vaccine procurement from the European Investment Bank and AIIB,” he added.
Bangladesh’s request for vaccine doses under active consideration: Miller
The United States has said it is actively considering the request made by the Bangladesh government over the supply of Covid-19 vaccine doses to meet Bangladesh’s immediate needs.
Bangladesh will get a reply of the letter, sent to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken by Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen, within the next couple of days.
“Two things he (Ambassador Miller) said. It’s (the request for vaccine doses) under active consideration and the Ambassador expects Bangladesh will get a reply as early as possible -- within a day or two,” said State Minister for Foreign Affairs M Shahriar Alam after his meeting with US Ambassador to Bangladesh Earl Miller.
While talking to a small group of journalists, including the UNB correspondent, at his office, the State Minister said they will be waiting to know the content of the reply.
Also Read:Ambassador Miller praises power of young minds in Bangladesh
Meanwhile, he said, US companies are in touch with the Health Ministry as they have a long-term plan of producing vaccines in Bangladesh.
The Ambassador informed that the US government is exploring the possibilities to produce US vaccines in Bangladeshi pharmaceutical companies.
The State Minister and the US Ambassador also discussed the ongoing cooperation between two countries in combating Covid-19 pandemic apart from the issue of providing vaccines for meeting Bangladesh’s immediate needs.
The US Ambassador informed that his government is working on this, and he has recommended having a regional approach in South Asia in distributing vaccines from the US.
Earlier, Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen said the government has sought immediate delivery of 4 million vaccine doses from the United States.
The US will share up to 60 million doses of its Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine with other countries as they become available.
“We’ve sought immediate release of four million doses of vaccine (in a letter sent to the US),” he told reporters, adding that he, however, sought a total of 10 to 20 million doses of vaccine from the US.
Also Read: Miller discusses JRP, bilateral issues with Shahriar
Dr Momen said the government wants to continue the vaccination programme collecting vaccines from alternative sources.
The Foreign Minister had a meeting with US Ambassador to Bangladesh Earl Miller at his office on Thursday.
Dr Momen asked the US Ambassador whether they provided any vaccine to India. In reply, Ambassador Miller said they have provided no vaccine to India yet.
The Foreign Minister said the US government needs permission from the Food and Drug Administration to export vaccines which is a time-consuming process. “But we need it immediately.”
Dr Momen said they have also written to Indian External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar requesting for 3 million doses of vaccine to address Bangladesh's immediate needs.
Bangladesh has received 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. This is the largest amount sent from India to any country.
Shortage of vaccines a 'temporary' problem, follow health guidelines: President
President Abdul Hamid on Friday urged everyone to follow the hygiene rules as it is not possible to impose lockdown for the indefinite period to deal with the Corona situation .
He called on the countrymen in a congratulatory message on the occasion of Eid at Bangabhaban.
"Almost thirty lakhs of people around the world have lost their jobs and are living inhumane lives. It is not possible to impose lockdown for an indefinite period to deal with the Corona situation indefinitely. So if we want to make a living, we have to deal with the situation, we have to work to control the corona without panicking," he said.
Also Read: President offers Eid prayers at Bangabhaban
He also said "It is necessary for every citizen of the country to follow the complete hygiene rules, that is, to wear a mask, wash their hands regularly and adhere to social distance. On this joyous day of Eid, I urge everyone to follow the hygiene rules."
He further said that Eid brings the message of happiness to all irrespective of race, caste and religion.
"But this year, the whole world stands still for the coronavirus pandemic. Alongside, the life and livelihood of the people of Bangladesh is also facing a difficult challenge. While saving lives is the first priority, the importance of making a living is inevitable too," he added.
Saying "The government is making every effort to deal with the Corona situation," Hamid said the government had already taken various steps to provide medical assistance as well as support to the helpless people. In addition, economic activities are going on with various incentives to continue.
Terming the collection of vaccines during the global catastrophe as a temporary problem, he said corona vaccination has already begun. The government has taken strong efforts to procure vaccines from different countries of the world with the highest priority.
He also expressed his hope this problem will be solved soon for the timely initiative of the government.
Saying Eid-ul-Fitr is a means of self-purification and self-control, he said "There are many helpless and needy people around us. Everyone should try their best level so that they are not deprived of the joy of Eid."
Hamid also urged the government as well as various non-governmental organizations, social and cultural organizations and the affluent members of the society to contribute as much as they can to help the indigent and helpless people.
Covid-19 claims 40 more lives, infects 1,144 others
Bangladesh has registered 40 more Covid-19 deaths in the past 24 hours until Wednesday morning, showing a rise in the number of daily deaths than the previous day.
With the news deaths the national tally reached at 12,045 on Wednesday. The country witnessed 33 deaths on Tuesday.
Bangladesh has been seeing below 60 daily deaths for a week after recording over 100 fatalities on several occasions in April.
However, the mortality rate rose to 1.55 percent, according to a handout of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
Besides, 1,140 new cases were detected after testing of 15,296 samples, pushing up the caseload to 777,397. Bangladesh has so far carried out 5,677,222 tests.The daily infection rate fell slightly to 7.45 percent from Tuesday’s 8.67 percent.
Bangladesh was experiencing a surge in Covid-19 cases in April and the daily cases came down to below 2000 since May 1.
DGHS said 2,928 patients recovered in the past 24 hours, taking the recovery rate to 92.39 percent.
Also Read: Covid-19: Bangladesh sees 41 deaths in 24 hours, lowest in 39 days
The country reported its first coronavirus cases on March 8 last year and the first death on the 18th of that month.
Dhaka worst-hit region
Dhaka has remained the worst-hit division, recording 6,972 fatalities or 57.88 percent of the total deaths until now.
Of the total daily deaths, sixteen deaths have been reported from Dhaka alone while 13 from Chattogrram.
Extended lockdown
The lockdown imposed on April 4 to contain the spread of coronavirus has been extended till May 16 as the government continues to discourage people from travelling to their village homes.
Officials of all government, semi-government autonomous and private organisations, banks and financial institutions have been asked to remain at their respective workstations during the upcoming Eid-ul-Fitr holidays.
Inter-district transport services have remained closed while intra-district transport services were allowed to operate ensuring health guidelines. Launch and train services remain off.
Also Read: 500 thousand doses of China’s gifted vaccine arrive in Bangladesh
But the restrictions could not deter people from travelling to their village homes ignoring health risks.
Vaccination drive
Bangladesh launched its vaccination drive on February 7 with Oxford-AstraZeneca doses purchased from India's Serum Institute.
The government signed an agreement with Serum for 30 million doses. But a record number of cases in India has made the delivery of the doses uncertain.
The administering of the first dose has remained suspended since April 26. Also, the country, the prime recipient of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines, has suspended the registration for Covid-19 jabs due to vaccine shortage amid a delay in the timely arrival of shipments from India.
In the last 24 hours, 10 people have received the first dose of the vaccine while 97,337 have received the second dose, said the health directorate.
Also Read: Nothing to be worried about vaccines: FM
Vaccine arrives from China
Covid-19 vaccine doses, donated by the Chinese government to Bangladesh, arrived in Dhaka on Wednesday morning.
Since the outbreak of the pandemic last year, China and Bangladesh have been supporting and assisting each other to fight together against the pandemic.
China has donated and is donating vaccines to 80 developing countries with urgent needs, and has provided support under COVAX for the emergency use of vaccines in developing countries.
Sinopharm begins shipment of its vaccine to Bangladesh
Chinese state-owned company Sinopharm has started delivering its vaccine doses to Bangladesh.
The company has finished packing 500 thousand doses of the gifted vaccine, which are now heading towards Beijing Capital International Airport in a cold-chain container truck.
Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Li Jiming on Monday officially announced that 5 lakh doses of Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine will reach Bangladesh on May 12 as a “special gift”.
Also Read: 5 lakh doses of Chinese vaccine to arrive on May 12: Envoy
"It's the latest outcome of China-Bangladesh anti-pandemic cooperation which again shows that our two peoples are in the same boat and we will stand with each other till the end of this battle," he said.
The Ambassador made the announcement during an interaction with the members of Diplomatic Correspondents Association, Bangladesh (DCAB) held virtually. DCAB President Pantho Rahaman and General Secretary AKM Moinuddin also spoke at the event.
"China is dedicated to international vaccine cooperation," said the Chinese envoy, adding that the Sinopharm vaccine has already been recognised and used in over 50 countries and regions globally for quite some time.
Also Read: Beijing wants Dhaka notto join Quad
“This is a new vote of confidence in China’s vaccines cast by the world. The Bangladeshi government also gave emergency use authorisation to the vaccine a week prior to the WHO’s clearance, which I believe is a far-sighted decision. It shows the faith put in China by Bangladesh, and it will surely mean a lot to our future cooperation,” he said.
According to clinical statistics provided by Sinopharm and the evaluation of the WHO, the efficacy rate of the vaccine is estimated to reach 79%, all age groups included.
Ambassador Li said the vaccine is recommended for adults aged 18 and older, and WHO did not indicate any upper age limit for use as data suggests that the vaccine is likely to have a protective effect in elder persons.
Read Bangladesh approves emergency use of Chinese Covid vaccine
“It’s also the first vaccine carrying a vial monitor, a small sticker on the vaccine vials that changes colour with the exposure to heat, thus warning health professionals if any doses go bad,” he said.
As the Covid-19 is still wreaking a havoc on people’s lives and disturbing social and economic activities in Bangladesh, the 500 thousand doses of vaccine are arriving just in time. It is the latest outcome of China-Bangladesh anti-pandemic cooperation.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has listed the Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine for emergency use, giving the green light for this vaccine to be rolled out globally.
Read Chinese drugmaker: Vaccine 79.3% effective in final tests
The Sinopharm vaccine is produced by Beijing Bio-Institute of Biological Products Co Ltd, subsidiary of China National Biotec Group (CNBG).
Bangladesh has kept up its intensified efforts to get Oxford-AstraZeneca and China's Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccines from India, China and the United States.
The Chinese Ambassador said China proposed providing the vaccine doses as a gift on February 3 and the government of Bangladesh took three months to approve it.
Read Russian Vaccine Sputnik V: Things we should know to fight COVID-19
He said there is a high demand of Chinese vaccines and it will take time to get vaccines through commercial purchase.
The Ambassador said Bangladesh proposed getting Chinese vaccines through commercial purchase on April 30 and Bangladesh could have got those much earlier if the decision had been taken timely.
He laid emphasis on quick and effective decisions by the government of Bangladesh on issues like vaccines.
Read What does it feel like to get COVID-19 after taking the vaccine?
Covid-19: Bangladesh sees 41 deaths in 24 hours, lowest in 39 days
Amid the declining trend in Covid-19 infections and fatalities after an alarming surge in April, Bangladesh registered 41 coronavirus-related deaths in 24 hours until Thursday, pushing up the total fatalities to 11,796.
This is the lowest number of Covid deaths in the country after March 28 this year. Bangladesh saw 35 deaths on March 28.
However, 1,822 new cases were detected during the period after the test of 21,585 samples.
The mortality rate remained static at 1.53 percent, said the Directorate General of Health Services in a handout.
The number of Covid deaths came down to 50 after over a month on Wednesday as the country saw 50 deaths on April 1 and it had kept rising since then.
Manwhile, the daily infection rate fell to 8.44 percent from Wednesday’s 8.59 percent, according to the data provided by DGHS.
The latest figure pushed up the caseload to 7,69,160.
The body count soared to over 100 during April 16-19 and on April 25 but the daily fatalities have been falling gradually since then.
Also read: Covid-19 in Bangladesh: Around 21 pc of total deaths reported in April alone
Until now, the country has tested 55,82,263 samples.
In the last 24 hours, 3,698 patients recovered from Covid-19, putting the recovery rate at 91.29 %.
Bangladesh reported its first cases on March 8 last year, before confirming the first death 10 days later.
Vaccination Drive
Bangladesh kicked off its vaccination drive on February 7 with Oxford-AstraZeneca doses it purchased from the Serum Institute of India Pvt Ltd.
Bangladesh signed an agreement with Serum for 30 million doses. But a record number of cases in India has made the delivery of the doses uncertain.
The administering of the first dose and new registration for Covid-19 jab has remained suspended since April 26.
However, DGHS DG Prof ABM Khurshid Alam assured that Bangladesh will get 2.1 million doses of vaccines by early May.
Also read: Deal with Russia soon over Covid vaccine: Health Minister
In the last 24 hours, 43 people have received the first dose and 102,915 have received the second dose of Covid vaccine, a figure which is exactly the same of yesterday, according to the DGHS handout.
So far, a total of 72,48,829 people received vaccines where 33,13,424 people managed to complete their second dose.
Vaccine stock dwindling
The DGHS on Wednesday said the stock of the Covid-19 vaccine is running out in Bangladesh as there are only 14 lakh jabs in government hands with no sign in sight to get a fresh consignment of it from India.
Speaking at a virtual press briefing, DGHS spokesperson Dr Robed Amin said, “We had around one crore and two lakh vaccines in our hands…around 88 lakh jabs have already been administered as the first and second doses. Now we’ve some 14 lakh doses in stock.”
He said there will be a vaccine crisis if a fresh consignment does not arrive in the country before the existing stock is exhausted.
Drive intensified to get vaccines from US
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen on Wednesday said the government has intensified its efforts to have vaccine jabs from the United States (US) as it will share up to 60 million doses of its Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine with other countries.
Also read: Bangladesh seeks immediate delivery of 4 mn vaccine doses from US: FM
Vaccine production
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on April 28 approved in principle a proposal for producing Russian and Chinese Covid-19 vaccines in Bangladesh.
The government on April 29 approved the emergency use of Sinopharm, a Chinese Covid-19 vaccine, a day after approving the emergency use of Sputnik V vaccine of Russia.
“We’ll get 5 lakh doses of the Chinese vaccine as gift within 7-10 days. Then we’ll start distribution. Then the government will start buying those on G2G basis,” Mahbubur Rahman, Director General of DGDA told reporters.
On April 28, Dr Shahida Aktar, additional secretary of the Cabinet Division noted that the government will purchase vaccine technology from Russian and China through direct procurement method (DPM).
Lockdown extended until May 16
The government has issued a notification extending the ongoing lockdown until May 16 with six fresh directives alongside the existing ones to contain the spread of Covid-19.
According to the notification issued by the Cabinet Division, the officials of all government, semi-government autonomous and private organisations, banks and financial institutions have been asked to remain at their respective workstations during the upcoming Eid-ul-Fitr holidays.
Also read: Lockdown to continue until May 16, intra-district public transport services from May 6
Shops and shopping malls will remain open from 10 am to 8 pm maintaining health guidelines. If any kind of deviation and violation are seen, the shopping malls and shops will be closed instantly, says the notification.
Inter-district transport services will remain closed while only intra-district transport services will operate ensuring health guidelines from Thursday.
However, launch and train services will remain off.
Bangladesh, China, others call for avoiding vaccine nationalism
Bangladesh, China and four South Asian countries have said “vaccine nationalism” will hinder the global efforts to defeat Covid-19, and underscored the need for avoiding the “immunity gap”.
The six countries agreed that vaccines, as a key weapon to defeat the Covid-19 pandemic, should be distributed in accordance with the principle of equity and justice.
Also Read: Bangladesh keen to work with China for research, production of Covid vaccine
State Councilor and Foreign Minister of China Wang Yi, acting Foreign Minister of Afghanistan Mirwais Nab, Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen, Nepalese Foreign Minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali, Pakistan Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena held a video conference on joint response to Covid-19 on Tuesday.
They exchanged views on international and regional cooperation on pandemic response and post-Covid economic recovery, according to a joint statement issued on Wednesday.
To push forward practical cooperation in relevant fields, China announced its decision to establish a China-South Asian Countries Emergency Supplies Reserve, set up a China-South Asian Countries Poverty Alleviation and Cooperative Development Center, and hold a China-South Asian Countries E-commerce Cooperation Forum on Poverty Alleviation in Rural Areas.
The other participating countries also expressed support.
Also Read: China approves a fourth COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use
The Foreign Ministers noted with satisfaction the concerted and productive efforts made by their countries since the start of Covid-19 to combat the virus and promote economic recovery in the spirit of overcoming challenges through cooperation and mutual assistance.
The Foreign Ministers pointed out that Covid-19 is a common enemy of humankind, and that countries should step up solidarity and cooperation to win the final victory over it.
China expressed its readiness to provide continued medical supplies and technical assistance to the participating countries to the best of its ability.
Chinese initiative was appreciated, the joint statement reads.
The Foreign Ministers reiterated their firm support to WHO’s due role in the global cooperation against Covid-19 and acknowledged that tracing the origin of the virus is a matter of science and a global mission.
They expressed opposition to politicising the issue.
The participating countries will strengthen cooperation in tracking Covid-19 mutation closely.
The Foreign Ministers appreciated China’s efforts in addressing this challenge.
China will act on President Xi Jinping’s important statement on making the vaccines a global public good, and carry out continued vaccine cooperation with the participating countries in a flexible manner, including co-production of Covid-19 vaccines.
The Foreign Ministers recognised the serious impact of Covid-19 on the global economy and its complex implications for the sustainable development of all countries.
They agreed to deepen Belt and Road cooperation, open their borders under the premise of pandemic prevention and control for smooth trade, keep the industrial and supply chains stable and secure, and give a stronger boost to economic recovery and the improvement of people’s lives.
China agreed to support the participating countries to overcome the impact of Covid-19 on their economies through the enhanced level of economic cooperation and collaboration.
The Foreign Ministers stressed the importance to strengthen cooperation in poverty reduction, food security and other non-traditional security fields to protect the livelihood of people with special attention to the most vulnerable groups.
To facilitate personnel exchanges against the backdrop of Covid-19, the Foreign Ministers agreed to discuss the possibility of mutual recognition of digital “health codes”.
The Foreign Ministers agreed to make these mechanisms inclusive, transparent, sustainable and demand-driven ones.
They agreed to closely follow the development of Covid-19 situation in India, and expressed their willingness to provide needed support through respective channels in consultation with India.
The Foreign Ministers agreed to maintain the momentum of cooperation among the six countries, hold consultations at the Foreign Minister, Vice Foreign Minister/Secretary and Director General levels, expand cooperation areas and lend impetus to future cooperation.
Besides, the six countries welcomed the active participation of other countries in the region in a spirit of openness, inclusiveness and win-win cooperation.
Earlier, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin said the meeting is the latest example of China and South Asian countries standing in solidarity to fight the epidemic and restart economic and social development.
He said it is also an integral part of anti-epidemic cooperation at international and regional levels.
"China keeps the door wide open for the participation of other South Asian countries, including India in the spirit of openness, inclusiveness and win-win cooperation," said the Spokesperson on Tuesday.
Will take 2 weeks to get vaccine from alternative sources: FM
The government is exploring Covid vaccines from three alternative sources, Russia, China and the USA, and it will take at least two weeks to complete the process, said Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen on Tuesday.
“It’s a reasonable time,” he told reporters at his residence, adding that talks with India are also underway to get at least 2 to 3 million doses of vaccine for addressing Bangladesh’s immediate need.
Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen was also present at the briefing.
Also Read: Bangladesh approves emergency use of Russian Sputnik V vaccine
The US will begin sharing its entire stock of Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines with the world once it clears federal safety reviews, the White House said on Monday, with as many as 60 million doses expected to be available for export in the coming months.
Dr Momen said Bangladesh can allow the emergency use of vaccines from Russia and China. "We'll collect the vaccine wherever we get it."
Responding to a question, the Foreign Minister said Bangladesh requested China to supply vaccines to Bangladesh as soon as possible. In reply, the Chinese side said they will work with Bangladesh to that end.
He said there is a necessity for the supply of vaccine following delay and subsequent “halt” on supply of vaccine from India to Bangladesh.
Dr Momen said Bangladesh’s plan was effective but there is a new wave with a sharp rise of infection cases recently.
Responding to a question, he said the government is exploring direct purchase of vaccines from Russia on a G-to-G basis. Bangladesh has already approved the emergency use of the Russian Covid-19 vaccine Sputnik V.
Dr Momen briefed the journalists at his residence after a China-led virtual meeting that discussed cooperation among countries to deal with the Covid-19 situation, including setting up of “Covid Emergency Medical Storage Facility”.
Also Read: FM to join China-led virtual meeting on vaccine cooperation
He said China shared three ideas, including installing a development centre, to deal with post-Covid poverty and an e-Commerce Forum.
“We should believe in multilateralism. We laid emphasis on cooperation and partnership,” said the Foreign Minister.