First consignment of Covid-19 vaccines purchased by govt lands in Dhaka

The first consignment of Covid-19 vaccines -- containing 50 lakh doses of Covishield -- purchased by the government landed in Dhaka this morning.

An Air India special flight carrying the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, manufactured by Serum Institute of India, reached Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 11:15am, said Nazmul Hasan Papon, managing director of Beximco Pharmaceuticals Ltd.

The vaccines are being transported to Beximco warehouses in Tongi, he said.

Bangladesh previously received 20 lakh doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine as a gift from the Indian government.

The country has so far purchased three crore doses from Serum through Beximco Pharmaceuticals Ltd.