BANGLADESH is desperate to get vaccines from the US, China, Canada, Russia, the UK and India, foreign minister AK Abdul Momen said.
He made various appeals through ITV News and CNN to secure coronavirus vaccines for the country's emergency needs.
Amid fears that the Indian variant of Covid-19 could rapidly spread in Bangladesh, Momen described the situation as a "crisis".
He feared many more people could have carried the virus through the borders.
Bangladesh tried to close its border with India but could not prevent the influx of people; around 3,350 Bangladeshis returned from India through Benapole land port alone from April 26 till date, said Momen.
Bangladesh has so far officially sought vaccines from the US, the UK, alongside China, Russia and also Canada.
Health officials said Bangladesh currently has a stock of one million doses of AstraZeneca's Covishield vaccine and Chinese Sinopharm jabs and is expecting 100,000 Pfizer shots, but they fear all supplies will be exhausted within a few days.
In his interview with CNN, Momen said a large number of people in Bangladesh who took the first dose of Oxford-AstraZeneca could not take the second dose and so "we need it desperately".
After its request to the US, Bangladesh has urged the UK to provide 1.6 million Covid-19 vaccine doses to meet its emergency needs.
"I'm not asking for too much, I'm only asking for 1.6 million AstraZeneca doses that they have . . . (UK) they should immediately disburse those to Bangladesh so that people can have their second dose," Momen told ITV News.
Bangladesh earlier entered into a deal with India's Serum Institute (SII) to procure 30 million doses of vaccines. But it received seven million doses in two consignments until February while the third consignment, which was expected in March, is yet to reach the country.
India provided 3.2 million doses as gifts to Bangladesh. "India is facing a very critical situation, very alarming… They're finding it difficult, we can understand it," Momen told ITV News.
Bangladesh also contacted China and Russia to get their vaccines.
Dhaka earlier this week signed a non-disclosure agreement with China on purchasing the Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine and co-producing the vaccines in Bangladesh, a month after reaching a nearly identical deal with Russia for production of the Sputnik V vaccine.
Moglai Bap and Mo Chara of Kneecap perform at Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Pilton, Somerset, Britain, June 28, 2025. REUTERS/Jaimi Joy
Police may probe anti-Israel comments at Glastonbury
BRITISH police said they were considering whether to launch an investigation after performers at Glastonbury Festival made anti-Israel comments during their shows.
"We are aware of the comments made by acts on the West Holts Stage at Glastonbury Festival this afternoon," Avon and Somerset Police, in western England, said on X late on Saturday (28).
Irish hip-hop group Kneecap and punk duo Bob Vylan made anti-Israeli chants in separate shows on the West Holts stage on Saturday. One of the members of Bob Vylan chanted "Death, death, to the IDF" in a reference to the Israel Defense Forces.
"Video evidence will be assessed by officers to determine whether any offences may have been committed that would require a criminal investigation," the police statement said.
The Israeli Embassy in Britain said it was "deeply disturbed by the inflammatory and hateful rhetoric expressed on stage at the Glastonbury Festival".
Prime minister Keir Starmer said earlier this month it was "not appropriate" for Kneecap to appear at Glastonbury.
The band's frontman Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh was charged with a terrorism offence last month for allegedly displaying a flag in support of Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah at a concert in November. He has denied the charge.
A British government minister said it was appalling that the anti-Israel chants had been made at Glastonbury, and that the festival's organisers and the BBC broadcaster - which is showing the event - had questions to answer.
Health secretary Wes Streeting said he was also appalled by violence committed by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank.
"I'd also say to the Israeli Embassy, get your own house in order in terms of the conduct of your own citizens and the settlers in the West Bank," Streeting told Sky News.
"I wish they'd take the violence of their own citizens towards Palestinians more seriously," he said.
(Reuters)