Bangladesh gifts medical supplies to Sri Lanka
COLOMBO : The Government of Bangladesh donated much needed medical supplies to the people of Sri Lanka at the request of the Sri Lankan Government at a simple ceremony held at the State Guest House Padma in Dhaka Thursday,May 5 .
The urgent medical supplies provided were estimated at a total value of BDT 200 million equivalent to USD 2.32 million.
The donation of medical assistance was handed over to Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner in Dhaka Professor Sudharshan Seneviratne by the Bangladesh Government, in the presence of Foreign Minister Dr A K Abdul Momen, Health Minister Zahid Maleque and President of the Bangladesh Association of Pharmaceutical Industries (BAPI) Nazmul Hassan, MP.
Also present at the ceremony were Foreign Secretary Ambassador Masud Bin Momen, Director General of Health Prof Dr Abul Bashar, Director General of Drugs Major General Md Mahbubur Rahman, officials of the Bangladesh Foreign Ministry and officials of the High Commission of Sri Lanka in Bangladesh.
The medical supplies will be transported by SriLankan Airlines, presently operating daily flights in the Dhaka-Colombo sector.
Dhaka earlier supported Colombo by providing $200 million in a currency swap arrangement.
Noting that every country is facing challenges of its own to varying degrees, Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen said mutual collaboration is more essential than ever before in these trying times.
The dual impact of the Covid-19 pandemic resulting in supply chain disruption, and the war between Russia and Ukraine, have adversely affected the global economy, he added.
“We also stand ready to extend further support to Sri Lanka in all possible ways we can,” he said.
The foreign minister said this medical assistance to the friendly people of Sri Lanka is an expression of solidarity and friendship between the two nations when they are celebrating 50 years of diplomatic relations this year.
He said Bangladeshi products have by now earned a good name in the global pharmaceutical market due to high quality and competitive pricing. “We are also exporting [medicine] to Sri Lanka.”
At Thursday’s ceremony, the Sri Lankan high commissioner expressed his government’s gratitude to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her government for this friendly gesture.
He noted that Sri Lanka values the friendly relationship with Bangladesh and is committed to further strengthening it in the coming days. He termed the gifting of the medicines as another demonstration that the trajectory of bilateral relations was moving in the right direction.
The goodwill gesture is significant of the long standing bilateral relations, as Sri Lanka and Bangladesh commemorate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations this year.