Masud's visit comes even as New Delhi has started export of COVID vaccines to countries in the region with Bangladesh being accorded a high priority

Bangladesh’s foreign secretary Masud Bin Momen will be visiting India next week from 27th to 29th January for the annual foreign office consultations. The key focus will be many things including connectivity, Covid pandemic. "All aspects of the relations will be discussed during the visit", a person familiar with the development told WION. 

Last year Indian foreign secretary Harsh Shringla visited Dhaka. The visit was the first foreign visit of India's Foreign secretary amid the covid pandemic. 

Masud's visit comes even as New Delhi has started export of COVID vaccines to countries in the region with Bangladesh being accorded a high priority. The first consignment of India's COVID vaccine will be gifted to Bangladesh on Thursday. The consignment contains 2 million doses of the COVISHIELD vaccine produced by the Serum Institute of India (SII).

This will be followed by the go-ahead to commercial supplies starting next week. Bangladeshi govt and the country's largest Pharma company Beximco pharmaceuticals has signed a contract with SII to procure 30 million COVID vaccines.

In December both Indian PM Modi and Bangladeshi PM Shiekh Hasina held a virtual summit. During the summit, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina paid rich tributes to the Indian Armed forces and thanked India for the liberation of the country from Pakistan in 1971.

Speaking at the summit, in presence of Indian PM, she said," I pay deep homage to the three million martyrs who laid down their lives. I pay tribute to the members of the Indian armed forces martyred in the war and their families. I pay my gratitude to the government and the people of India who extended their wholehearted support for the cause of our liberation."

In March, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Dhaka for Bangladesh's 50th Independence year celebrations.