Five lakh doses of Sinopharm vaccine, as a gift from China, have reached Dhaka.

A special aircraft of BAF equipped with 500,000 doses of Sinopharm vaccine and AD syringes landed at the Bangladesh Air Force base at Kurmitola at 5:30 am on Wednesday.

The vaccines will be officially handed over to Bangladesh at the Padma state guest house at 11:30 am on the day.

Sources at the Chinese embassy in Dhaka and an official of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the matter.

Earlier, thirteen aircrew of Bangladesh Air Force led by Wing Commander Md Habibur Rahman left Dhaka for China Tuesday morning by BAF C-130J aircraft for the purpose.

Air Chief Marshal Masihuzzaman Serniabat imparted necessary guidance to the team.

Bangladesh Armed Forces are conducting various activities under the directives of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to contain the spread of coronavirus.

However, it may take a few more days to receive the required number of vaccine doses commercially.

On 29 April, the Department of Drug Administration approved the Chinese vaccine in Bangladesh.