Eastern Times Correspondent, Dhaka, 12 June: Bangladesh government has signed a deal to procure Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine from China.
“The recent revelation of vaccine price has created some issues. We have to maintain non-disclosure matters strictly,” Health Minister Zahid Maleque said today in a programme at National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases.
However, the minister did not disclose the date of the deal and the price of the doses.
Earlier on 27 May, the Cabinet Committee on Public Purchase approved a proposal for buying 1.5 crore doses of Sinopharm’s covid-19 vaccine.
Right after the meeting, a Cabinet Division official told reporters at a briefing that they would purchase the vaccine at $10 per dose.
The price disclosure created confusion a week before the final deal for the vaccine.
In the interest of trade, China had said earlier that prices should not be disclosed under any circumstances as they are supplying vaccines in different countries of the world at different prices.
Due to good relations with Bangladesh, China’s Sinopharm agreed to provide vaccines for $10 per dose.
Sri Lanka was the first country that raised its voice after the news broke in the Bangladeshi media as it has to provide $15 per dose for the same vaccine.
China has already issued a diplomatic letter to Bangladesh asking why the price was disclosed as Bangladesh was informed earlier that they would suffer commercial losses if prices are revealed. It says that its fears have come true as many countries have objected to them about the vaccine prices.
Beijing has already said that Bangladesh will have to pay $15 per dose to buy the vaccine now.
