Money for vaccines on the way to India

Bangladesh is transferring pre-booking money to neighbouring India for the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine.

More than Tk600 crore will be deposited in banks on Sunday to purchase the vaccine from the Serum Institute of India (SII).

The institute will provide a bank guarantee against the deposit, informed Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) officials who are familiar with the matter. According to the agreement, if SII cannot provide the vaccine by next June, Bangladesh will get the money back.

DGHS Director General Dr ABM Khurshid Alam informed reporters that the first consignment worth Tk50 lakh would be sent tomorrow to bring the vaccine from India.

The top official of the health department further said that after the approval of the United Kingdom and India as per the high-level directives of the government, there is no obstacle to bring the vaccine to Bangladesh.

Meanwhile, the Indian government on Saturday also approved use of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine.