Special Correspondent :
In the third week of January, a high official of Beximco Pharmaceuticals disclosed about a contract with Serum Institute of India to buy 30 million doses of the vaccine at about US$8 each for sale on the private market. Earlier, it was learned by the international media that a tripartite contract was signed between Bangladesh government, Serum Institute of India and Beximco.
Question raised whether the inclusion of Beximco in the contract was made maintaining all legal procedures when Bangladesh health officials, health secretary and even health minister simultaneously echoed claiming that the vaccines were bought directly by the government.
According to sources, Serum has planned to sell 100 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine for $2.73 each to the government of India, though Beximco is initially paying $4 per dose. It will cost US$5 per dose including all charges though Serum is bearing the expenses of transporting the vaccines to Dhaka from India. And another matter is that Bangladesh is paying 47% more money than India for it.
Moreover, Beximco’s Chief Operating Officer Rabbur Reza recently has said that private sales of the vaccine by Beximco could begin in Bangladesh soon at a retail price of about 1,125 taka ($13.27) per dose. What a disparity!
There has been a hot debate among the country’s scientists and pharmacists over the immunization capacity of ‘Covishield’ – an Oxford corona vaccine produced by Serum Institute of India making a partnership with British drugmaker AstraZeneca, now widely used in Bangladesh government’s vaccination programme.
Questions have been raised about the Covishield’s immunization when heads of state and government along with VVIPs in Bangladesh still did not take the vaccine. It is also a big question whether there was any alternative to buy vaccines apart from Serum.
On January 25, the first consignment of 5 million doses of ‘Covishield’ out of 30 million doses as per contract with Serum Institute reached Dhaka. The consignments of vaccines were received by Beximco officials and those were stored at Beximco’s Gazipur warehouse.
Interesting matter is that no one – Beximco or Bangladesh government – has clarified the business deal in which manner the vaccines were imported in the country.
On January 20 the Indian government sent 20 million doses of vaccine as gift to Bangladesh government with exposing its desire to bolster its reputation as a pharmaceutical powerhouse in the name of meeting global demand.
It is mentionable that – none of the vaccines, including the ‘Covishield’, is approved by the World Health Organization (WHO) till the date although several countries across the globe started trial run of different types of vaccines on an emergency basis to tackle the pandemic situation.
Meanwhile, COVID-19 vaccination drive started in Dhaka’s five government hospitals, with plans to begin wider inoculation on February 7.
Beximco Group’s Vice-Chairman and Prime Minister’s Private Industry and Investment Affairs Adviser Salman F Rahman in an interview to a local media said that Beximco had approached Serum to be their sole distributor in Bangladesh; they agreed later when got assurance of having some money in advance.
In another interview with a foreign media, Salman F Rahman said that his company Beximco had paid US$8 million to Serum to get the sole distributorship of the Covishield in Bangladesh. At the same time, he also disclosed that Bangladesh government has also paid US$ 120 million in advance for importing the vaccine.
Naturally, there is a question how Beximco, a private business group, was involved in the business along with the government. Did Salman exercise his influence to get the contract abusing his post? Was not there lack of transparency?
Salman said he doesn’t think doing vaccine business is a conflict of interest though he is now PM’s adviser. As the MPs can do any business being a member of the Parliament, he said, he can also do the same as an adviser. He claimed that he only enjoys the facilities of a minister but he is not a minister by taking oath under the constitution.
