'Mango Diplomacy': Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina gifts 2,600 kg mangoes to PM Modi, Mamata

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has given over 2,600 kg mangoes to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. The mangoes which were gifted as a goodwill gesture will be received by PM Modi and Mamata Banerjee soon. According to local reports in Bangladesh, the mango shipment arrived at the Benapole-Petrapole check post on the India-Bangladesh border on Sunday. From there, the shipment will be delivered to the residences of PM Modi and the West Bengal Chief Minister.

Sheikh Hasina gifts mangoes to PM Modi and other leaders 

According to reports, President Ram Nath Kovind is also one of the recipients of the mangoes and the consignment was received by First Secretary (Political) of the Deputy High Commission of Bangladesh in Kolkata Md Samiul Quader. Apart from this, Bangladesh is also planning to send the additional stock of mangoes to India's northeastern states like Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Tripura. The 'Mango diplomacy' move gains prominence at a time when Bangladesh has reportedly expressed dismay with India due to the delay of COVID-19 vaccines. 

India is keen to resume vaccine export to Bangladesh 

Earlier in June, India's Commissioner to Bangladesh Vikram Doraiswami had said that the country was looking forward to resuming the export of COVID-19 vaccines to Bangladesh. However, there is no clarity on the decision yet. In March, India had provided Bangladesh with 1.2 million free doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine

Bangladesh inks deal with India's SII for vaccine procurement 

Bangladesh had signed a deal with Indian pharma major Serum Institute of India (SII) for 30 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine. The country of more than 160 million people had already received 9 million vaccine doses from SII. India has also previously gifted 2 million doses of the shot to Bangladesh that Serum was producing for many countries.