Serum to return money if fails to provide vaccine: Finance Minister

Serum Institute of India will return the money paid by Bangladesh for purchasing the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine if it fails to supply it, said Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal.

“We don’t know whether the vaccine will come or not. If we’re informed that the vaccine won’t come, then we’ll take the final decision,” he said while briefing reporters after a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Public Purchase.

Mustafa Kamal, however, said negotiations with Serum are going on and nothing is final yet.

The minister said the agreement was signed with Serum for vaccine maintaining all the standards of an international contract usually has.

“This is not a verbal deal and there’re contractual obligations from the birth sides — Bangladesh and India,” he said adding that their obligation is to provide the vaccine to us.

Mustafa Kamal went on saying, “We’ve been trying to get the (Oxford) vaccine. We’re also trying to get vaccines from other sources as vaccines are very important to save the lives of people.”