Covid Vaccines: Bangladesh to get top priority: Indian envoy

Newly appointed Indian High Commissioner Vikram Kumar Doraiswami yesterday said Bangladesh would get top priority in trial, distribution, delivery, and partial co-production of the potential Indian Covid-19 vaccine.

He gave the assurance during a meeting with State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam at the foreign ministry in the capital, said a press release.

During the meeting, the state minister recalled the decision of the last Joint Consultative Commission (JCC) meeting over holding the virtual summit between the prime ministers of Bangladesh and India.

The Indian envoy assured that the upcoming summit was not being seen as a substitute for an in-person visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, rather it would be a complementary summit.

The state minister and the high commissioner agreed to hold the long-pending meeting of the Joint Rivers Commission at the ministerial level soon.

Shahriar hoped that normal people-to-people connectivity between the two countries would be restored soon.

In this regard, he appreciated the Indian side for reopening people-people movement and requested the envoy to ease their visa regulations.

Doraiswami assured that the "air bubble" arrangement between Bangladesh and India would convene soon and other regulations would also be eased eventually.

Both sides stressed the need for creating an easy and sustainable mechanism for bilateral people-people movement, with ease of travel and exchange of currency.

Some other issues, including restoration of Chilahati-Haldibari rail link, connectivity with North-East India and Bangabandhu-Bapu Digital Museum, were also discussed yesterday.