Dhaka: Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday received her first dose of the Oxford/AstraZeneca Coronavirus vaccine, nearly a month after the country launched the nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drive with the jab, manufactured by the Serum Institute of India.
Hasina, 73, received her first shot of COVID-19 vaccine at her official residence, Ganabhaban, in Dhaka, said a spokesperson of the Prime Minister's Office.
An official photograph released after she was inoculated showed a military nurse administering the vaccine on her left arm while her younger sister Sheikh Rehana stood beside the premier. Rehana received the shot a few days ago.
Hasina earlier said she would receive the vaccine once the vaccination process was rolled out across the country.
The vaccination drive began in Bangladesh with a nurse given the first shot at Kurmitola General Hospital in Dhaka on January 27. The prime minister had inaugurated the programme.
The government launched the mass vaccination campaign on February 7 after a dry run. More than 518,000 people have taken their first doses of the vaccine.