Lambasting the country’s health ministry for delaying preparation of documents related to vaccine purchases from China and Russia, Bangladesh Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen has said it has done a "lousy job".

"China had sent three documents. Of those, we prepared and sent back two. One was sent on Wednesday]. A part of it was in Chinese and a part of it in English. Somehow, we signed the Chinese part."

"Later, a professor of Chinese language was appointed to help prepare the document. Then it was sent again yesterday,” Then Daily Star quoted Momen as saying.

The minister said the delay was caused by the health ministry,  which has done a "lousy job" in this regard.

"There has been a little bit of a delay. Our ambassador [in China] is very frustrated. He is finalizing those documents. He called me to text the health minister and our principal secretary to remind them [about the documents]. I hope those with China will be finalized by next week," Momen said.

About signing a deal with Russia, he said only some of the documents sent by Russia were signed.

"Some amounts (of prices) were written and then again changed. They (Russia) don't like changes in the documents. We are engaged with these. They want a clean document. If we have objections (on any issues), we have to do it clearly."

With its vaccine stock fast depleting, Bangladesh is in urgent need to buy 20-30 million doses of Sinopharm vaccines from China and at least four million vials of Sputnik V from Russia.

The country is in talks regarding the co-production of these vaccines.

Bangladesh also immediately needs two million Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines for administering second doses on those who were given the shots earlier.

The problem arose after India in March halted their vaccine export. Bangladesh had signed a deal to buy 30 million Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines from Serum Institute of India, but got only 10.2 million doses following the severe spike in Covid cases in the neighboring nation.

Bangladesh has also sought a part of the 60 million AstraZeneca vaccines with the US, but has not received any response.

"We learn that Bangladesh is not on the priority list for the US vaccines as the death rate here is low. India, Brazil, Spain and Indonesia are higher priorities due to their high rates of deaths and infections," Momen said.

"We told our US friends that we are in trouble due to a shortage of vaccines and requested them to give us two million so that we can complete the round of second doses. Our expatriate Bangladeshis also wrote to the White House in this regard,” he said.

Momen has also requested his Indian counterpart S. Jaishankar to take up Bangladesh’s case with the US.

(SAM)