A consignment of 245,200 Oxford-AstraZeneca doses from Japan arrived on Saturday.
The Cathay Pacific cargo flight, carrying the doses, landed at Dhaka’sHazrat Shahjalal International Airport in the afternoon. Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen received the jabs that came under the Covax scheme, reports UNB.
Bangladesh started its mass vaccination campaign in February, using the Covishield vaccine developed by the University of Oxford and Anglo-Swedish company AstraZeneca. But it was subsequently halted after India banned vaccine exports to tackle its growing coronavirus crisis.
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Japanese Ambassador to Bangladesh Naoki Ito on Friday said Japan would provide a total of 3 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine to Bangladesh.
"This is the manifestation of friendship and partnership," he said.
During his recent telephone conversation with Japanese Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu, Dr Momen raised the vaccine issue and requested him to help Bangladesh with AstraZeneca vaccine supply.
He specifically mentioned the urgency of the AstraZeneca vaccine doses as a good number of people in Bangladesh did not get the second dose of AstraZeneca due to a supply gap.
During the dispatch of the first consignment of 2,45,200 AstraZeneca vaccines from Japan for Bangladesh, Bangladesh...
Posted by Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bangladesh on Friday, July 23, 2021
Japan says it will stand by Bangladesh in the fight against Covid-19.
Earlier, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi made an announcement that 15 countries in the region will be provided with 11 million doses in total under the Covax facility.
Momen thanks Japan
Foreign Minister Momen thanked his Japanese counterpart Motegi Toshimitsu for Japan’s decision to provide 3 million AstraZeneca vaccines to Bangladesh through the WHO-Covax mechanism.
"We acknowledge with deep appreciation the continued assistance of Japan in facing the challenges of Covid-19 pandemic in Bangladesh, including the direct budgetary support," he said in a letter to his Japanese counterpart.
"We urge all for a global and united response for containing this pandemic, ensuring availability of vaccines on a global scale and mobility of resources to stimulate the global economy," Dr Momen mentioned in his letter.
He also lauded Japanese Prime Minister Suga’s leadership in hosting the Vaccine Summit on June 2 and committing vaccines and funds to combat the pandemic.
"As we prepare to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic relation between our two friendly countries in 2022, I reaffirm that Bangladesh considers Japan as a true and trusted friend and also a reliable development partner," Dr Momen said.
He mentioned that both the countries are now working to upgrade the Bangladesh-Japan relationship from a" Comprehensive Partnership" to the "Strategic Partnership" level.
"I sincerely believe that our ongoing Covid cooperation will further strengthen and deepen our bilateral relation," Momen said, wishing the Tokyo Olympic Games a grand success.
He wished his Japanese counterpart a long life with good health and happiness, and continued peace, progress and prosperity of the friendly people of Japan.
