india

Updated: Apr 26, 2020 17:45 IST

India on Sunday provided Bangladesh 100,000 hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) tablets and 50,000 surgical gloves for use in the country’s efforts to prevent and control the spread of Covid-19.

This was the second tranche of aid provided by India to the neighbouring country under the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) Covid-19 Emergency Fund. It had earlier provided a consignment of head covers and face masks.

In a video message posted on social media, India’s high commissioner to Dhaka, Riva Ganguly Das, said many people in both countries had been affected by the coronavirus disease and India would stand by Bangladesh in the efforts to tackle Covid-19.

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“A Saarc leaders’ video conference was held on March 15 and at that time, the Saarc Covid-19 Emergency Fund was created. Under that fund, today we have provided the Bangladesh government 100,000 hydroxychloroquine tablets and 50,000 surgical gloves for health professionals,” Das said in a brief video message in Bengali posted on social media.

She said Bangladeshi medical professionals had benefited from an online training programme organised by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in Raipur, and another course would soon be organised.

Das also pointed to India’s “neighbourhood first” policy and said Bangladesh comes first within the region for India. “I am absolutely confident that we will overcome this crisis with our joint efforts,” she added.

Bangladesh has so far recorded almost 5,000 infections and 140 deaths.

India has prioritised the supply of hydroxychloroquine tablets to its neighbours such as Bangladesh.