No specific date for vaccine supply to Bangladesh: Doraiswami

Indian high commissioner to Bangladesh Vikram Doraiswami has said, “The situation in India is gradually improving. We hope that with the increase in (vaccine) production we will be able to move forward. If India has sufficient corona vaccines, we can go ahead. There is no specific date for vaccine supply to Bangladesh, but production is increasing. That is positive.”

He was talking to journalists at the zero line of the Akhaura international checkpost in Brahmanbaria today, Friday. Vikram Doraiswami, accompanied by his spouse, had gone to India on 18 July via the Akhaura checkpost. He returned to Bangladesh on Friday.

He said he had gone to India to find out about the vaccine production there. Like many other friendly countries, India was working towards providing vaccines to an important country like Bangladesh. He said he could not tell the future, but would inform Bangladesh of the developments as soon as possible.

As to the volume of vaccines to be given to Bangladesh, high commissioner Doraiswami said, “We will let you know soon.” He said that even amidst coronavirus, trade between the two countries had increased significantly over the past year. If communications remained good, the trade between the two countries would continue despite the pandemic.

Vikram Doraiswami, replying to a question, said the corona situation had improved in the bigger cities of India. In Delhi, 50 people were infected every day. The situation was improving in other big cities too. Everything was opening up in many areas.

Referring to Bangladesh as a close friend, Vikram Doraiswami said, “Bangladesh is also fighting against Covid. We will be happy if we can help Bangladesh in this regard. We are pleased to see Bangladesh working hard to tackle the corona situation.”

Also present at the spot were the Akhaura upazila UNO Rumana Akhter, Akhaura police station officer-in-charge (OC Mizanur Rahman, immigration police in-charge Md Abdul Hamid and others.