Bangladesh joins platform with China of six countries to get Covid vaccines without India

[Black_cats]

Bangladesh joins platform with China of six countries to get Covid vaccines without India

Diplomatic Correspondent
Dhaka
Published: 22 Apr 2021, 09:08

Bangladesh has agreed to join a new platform floated by China to get coronavirus vaccines in case of emergency needs.

Four other countries—Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka--- are also in the platform styled ‘emergency vaccine storage facility for covid for South Asia’.

Foreign minister AK Abdul Momen told Prothom Alo that the platform is not an alliance.

“Vaccines would be collected from the facility based on needs. We’re calling it South Asia co-operation,” the minister told newsmen.

“We’ve now built a cooperation with China and they will provide us vaccines soon,” Momen said.
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He said China would initially provide 600,000 doses of Covid-19 vaccine as a gift. The draft of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has already been prepared in this end.

The foreign minister also said Bangladesh is taking assistance from Russia to manufacture Covid-19 vaccine. An MoU would be signed regarding the matter.

Foreign minister Momen said Russia is sharing the technology on condition that Bangladesh would not share the technology to anyone else, which Bangladesh agreed.

Russia would hand over the technology to any pharmaceutical company in Bangladesh. The process might take 2-3 months, Momen added.

Serum Institute of India (SII) delivered 7 million doses of vaccine as of February. Although Serum was supposed to deliver 5 million doses each month as per a tripartite agreement, Bangladesh did not receive any consignment after February.

As India has seen a massive surge in Covid cases in recent times, uncertainty looms for Bangladesh over the possibility of getting the vaccines as per the agreement.

Meanwhile, Indian high commissioner Vikram K Doraiswami said they are trying to ensure that Bangladesh gets as much vaccine as possible while maintaining that there is a shortage of Covid-19 vaccine in India itself.

“Indian media outlets are reporting about a shortage (of vaccine supply). There is a deficiency of vaccine even in the big cities of India,” Doraiswami told newsmen on Thursday while reaching Bangladesh from Delhi through Agartala-Akhaura border.

Bangladesh joins platform with China to get Covid vaccines

Bangladesh has agreed to join a new platform floated by China to get coronavirus vaccines in case of emergency needs.

en.prothomalo.com

 

[SoulSpokesman]

The world needs as many vax as it can get, Western, Chinese or Indian.

Regards

 

[Beast]

India can't even save itself. Talking about saving others? What a joke!

Will not be surprised India might even rob vaccine from others.

 

[DalalErMaNodi]

The world needs as many vax as it can get, Western, Chinese or Indian.

Regards

Hello.

 

[UKBengali]

Hmmmm.

Much as I appreciate China's generous offer, I would stay away from China's Sinopharm vaccine due to low relative efficacy.

BD already has the AstraZeneca vaccine and just also needs to procure maybe the Sputnik vaccine which is also very effective.

Once China has developed a better vaccine, then sure BD should procure them if available.

 

[bluesky]

Bangladesh joins platform with China of six countries to get Covid vaccines without India

As far as I remember BD did not accept a Chinese offer to do some tests in the country and started to depend upon BAL's great friend India. Now, when India moved away from its declared position vis-a-vis BD, now this country again praying China for the medicine.

What a flip-flop is BAL and Indian nature!!!

 

[SoulSpokesman]

@DalalErMaNodi

Hello, A bhai. Nice to see you active here!

Regards

 

[ayodhyapati]

Bangladesh joins platform with China of six countries to get Covid vaccines without India

Diplomatic Correspondent
Dhaka
Published: 22 Apr 2021, 09:08

Bangladesh has agreed to join a new platform floated by China to get coronavirus vaccines in case of emergency needs.

Four other countries—Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka--- are also in the platform styled ‘emergency vaccine storage facility for covid for South Asia’.

Foreign minister AK Abdul Momen told Prothom Alo that the platform is not an alliance.

“Vaccines would be collected from the facility based on needs. We’re calling it South Asia co-operation,” the minister told newsmen.

“We’ve now built a cooperation with China and they will provide us vaccines soon,” Momen said.
Advertisement

He said China would initially provide 600,000 doses of Covid-19 vaccine as a gift. The draft of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has already been prepared in this end.

The foreign minister also said Bangladesh is taking assistance from Russia to manufacture Covid-19 vaccine. An MoU would be signed regarding the matter.

Foreign minister Momen said Russia is sharing the technology on condition that Bangladesh would not share the technology to anyone else, which Bangladesh agreed.

Russia would hand over the technology to any pharmaceutical company in Bangladesh. The process might take 2-3 months, Momen added.

Serum Institute of India (SII) delivered 7 million doses of vaccine as of February. Although Serum was supposed to deliver 5 million doses each month as per a tripartite agreement, Bangladesh did not receive any consignment after February.

As India has seen a massive surge in Covid cases in recent times, uncertainty looms for Bangladesh over the possibility of getting the vaccines as per the agreement.

Meanwhile, Indian high commissioner Vikram K Doraiswami said they are trying to ensure that Bangladesh gets as much vaccine as possible while maintaining that there is a shortage of Covid-19 vaccine in India itself.

“Indian media outlets are reporting about a shortage (of vaccine supply). There is a deficiency of vaccine even in the big cities of India,” Doraiswami told newsmen on Thursday while reaching Bangladesh from Delhi through Agartala-Akhaura border.

Bangladesh joins platform with China to get Covid vaccines

Bangladesh has agreed to join a new platform floated by China to get coronavirus vaccines in case of emergency needs.

en.prothomalo.com

good for bangladesh , we will also give them when it is surplus in india , we need 1,2 billion dosage for home consumption.

 

[VikingRaider]

good for bangladesh , we will also give them when it is surplus in india , we need 1,2 billion dosage for home consumption.

If we wait till 1.2 billion Indian get vaccinated , millions of us would be already dead. However after getting other vaccines , I hope we no longer need Indian help. India is such entity who give words and later break it. Will Bangladesh govt learn this leson? I hope so.

If now BNP would be in power , BAL would shout that BNP is anti Indian govt , so India blocked vaccine export. Now the pro India govt BAL realize that , does not matter who is in power , India is neve a friend , but only used Bangladesh since 50 years.

All inimical behaviour of India are eye opener , specially while pro Indian govt is in power.

 

[swnjo]

Hmmmm.

Much as I appreciate China's generous offer, I would stay away from China's Sinopharm vaccine due to low relative efficacy.

BD already has the AstraZeneca vaccine and just also needs to procure maybe the Sputnik vaccine which is also very effective.

Once China has developed a better vaccine, then sure BD should procure them if available.

just take it. low efficacy is far better than dying. and if Indian strain reaches your country, it will be a havoc. it will be long you will get any more AZ vaccine from India.

 

[SMC]

Hmmmm.

Much as I appreciate China's generous offer, I would stay away from China's Sinopharm vaccine due to low relative efficacy.

BD already has the AstraZeneca vaccine and just also needs to procure maybe the Sputnik vaccine which is also very effective.

Once China has developed a better vaccine, then sure BD should procure them if available.

Sinopharm has efficacy of 79%. Its SinoVac that's around 50%.

 

[mmr]

Lol BAL. I ignored politics for while but seems hasina the ***** didnt change. Now begging china despite they offer almost 8 months ago.

 

[Homo Sapiens]

good for bangladesh , we will also give them when it is surplus in india , we need 1,2 billion dosage for home consumption.

We can understand and accept this position, but Indian govt. should have clarified this position clearly in the last year. Instead they repeatedly assured Bangladesh of supplying vaccine on priority basis, but when time came to honor it's promise, it make a U-tern in accordance with it's reputation. We only blame our govt. for trusting India blindly despite they experienced first hand of this kind of Indian behavior in so many times in the past.

 

[Imran Khan]

what happen to your indian vaccine ?

 

[UKBengali]

just take it. low efficacy is far better than dying. and if Indian strain reaches your country, it will be a havoc. it will be long you will get any more AZ vaccine from India.

BD has the virus under control and it has 3 million of AstraZeneca vaccine in stock still to give out. Remember that jab gives high immunity with one jab and the 2nd can be given 12 weeks later.

Not only is the efficacy of this vaccine lower but one jab is almost useless and so you would get less efficacy from two of these jabs 3-4 weeks apart than one AstraZeneca!

As BD has the option to buy the much higher efficacy Russian Sputnik jab then it makes sense for BD to buy that one and there is even talk of producing it locally in BD.