With India halting export of Oxford-AstraZaneca vaccine following a massive spike in Covid 19 infection, Bangladesh has now turned to China for the jab, The Daily Star reported.

Bangladesh Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen made the disclosure after participating in a virtual foreign ministers’ meeting at  China’s initiative that saw five South Asian nations take part. 

This was the maiden meeting of the initiative called "China-South Asia Platform for COVID-19 Consultation, Cooperation, and Post-pandemic Economic Recovery".

"They said they would work with us," Momen told reporters after taking part in the meeting involving China, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

As per the platform, China proposed establishing COVID-19 emergency medical facility, poverty alleviation, and e-commerce in rural areas, he said, according to the report.

The medical facility will store various medical equipment including vaccines. However, Dhaka has proposed to set it up close to the sea so that the member countries can get it at the quickest possible time during an emergency.

China wants to set up a Poverty Alleviation Centre and share their experiences of poverty reduction with South Asia as millions of people may be pushed on the fringe due to the pandemic, the report added