Hasina thanks PM Modi for vaccine gift

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has thanked her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi for sending 20 lakh doses of Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccines to assist the country in its fight against the novel Coronavirus. “I’m thanking Prime Minister Modi for sending the vaccine as a gift, I do expect that Bangladesh will get rid of the Covid-19 pandemic,” Hasina said. Hasina and Modi also discussed the ongoing bilateral collaboration between the private sectors. “We’ve taken all the steps to face the Covid-19 situation in the country,” she said.  Bangladesh has already planned to proceed with the vaccine, she said while virtually addressing an international conference on 100 Years of the University of Dhaka. On Thursday afternoon, the Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Vikram Kumar Doraiswami handed over the Covid-19 vaccine to Bangladesh Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen and Health Minister Zahid Maleque. Meanwhile,a consignment of 50,000 doses of COVISHIELD vaccine has been sent to Seychelles as part of India’s vaccine donation program. Sources said Seychelles is only among the four Indian Ocean countries to receive Covishield vaccine, manufactured by the Serum Institute of India, as New Delhi grant assistance. The donation of the vaccines under the VaccineMaitri demonstrates India’s role as a reliable partner of Seychelles and net security provider in the Indian Ocean Region. This is also reflective of India’s special relations with Seychelles and the central place enjoyed by Seychelles in Prime Minister Modi’s vision of SAGAR: “Security and Growth for All in the Region”. Seychelles has around one lakh inhabitants and the 50 thousand doses will thus be able to cover nearly 25 percent of the total Seychelles population.

One lakh doses of COVISHIELD vaccine have also been dispatched to Mauritius. Mauritius also lies at the heart of India’s vision of ‘SAGAR – Security and Growth for All in the Region’. Mauritius has a population of less than 1.3 million inhabitants. The country is highly dependent on external trade and tourism and hospitality industry which has been severely impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. The request for the supply of Indian vaccines has been made from the highest level in the Mauritius Government. The donation of one lakh doses of Covishield vaccines to Mauritius will cover the vaccination requirement of a considerable percentage of its frontline medical workers and will play a vital role in complementing its ongoing recovery plans from the effects of the pandemic. A consignment containing 1.5 million doses of COVISHEILD vaccines from India will reach Yangon on Friday. Sources said Myanmar is one of the first countries to receive the Indian government’s gift of the “Make in India” COVIDSHIELD vaccines, manufactured by the Serum Institute of India. Myanmar is an important land and maritime neighbour of India with which India shares close historical, civilisational, cultural, religious, linguistic and ethnic ties. Myanmar is a vital component of India’s “Neighbourhood First” and “Act East” policies. Picture courtesy to DNAIndia