India's ban on vaccine export not to affect deal with Bangladesh: Health secretary
Hours after Indian government imposed ban on exporting Covid-19 vaccine, Bangladesh's Health Secretary Abdul Mannan assured today that the decision will not affect vaccine purchase contract with Dhaka.
"The agreement Bangladesh had regarding coronavirus vaccine acquisition is a G2G (Government to Government) deal and the ban Indian government has imposed is on commercial export," he said at the press briefing at the Secretariat in the capital today.
"The payment will be done following the G2G agreement on the deal signed by Beximco Pharmaceuticals with the Serum Institute of India," the health secretary said after confirming the matter over phone with Indian deputy high commissioner in Dhaka .
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Abdul Mannan hoped that vaccine will be available by February, mentioning that the Serum Institute is still due to apply for WHO's approval, which usually takes at least three weeks.
In the same press briefing, Health Minister Zahid Maleque said the Indian government assured that Bangladesh will get the vaccine as per contract.
"India's vaccine ban decision that came out on Sunday, has raised a new problem. We are working on it," said the minister, adding, "Bangladesh government had already contacted the Indian High Commission in Dhaka and Indian Foreign Ministry through our Foreign Ministry."
"As we have told earlier, Bangladesh will get the Indian Covid-19 vaccine in January. But now no date could be said," he said further.
As Bangladesh had already contacted India, they will honour the contact, the minister hoped.
Besides, the discussion is also underway with China and Russia to get their vaccine.
India Sunday decided not to allow Serum Institute to export the Oxford University-AstraZeneca vaccine for several months.
The ban on exports means that poorer nations will probably have to wait a few months before receiving their first shots.
