Dhaka, Apr 27 (IANS): Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Riva Ganguly Das, handed over emergency medical supplies consisting of one lakh Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) tablets and 50,000 sterile surgical gloves to Bangladesh, an official release of the Indian High Commission there said.

The Indian High Commission in Dhaka said that the second tranche of assistance came from the Covid-19 emergency fund which was created at the initiative of Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his March 15 video conferencing with the leaders of the SAARC countries.

"Bangladesh Health Minister Zahid Maleque appreciated the continued support of India in providing medical supplies, protective gear and capacity building in the fight against Covid-19," said the release issued on Sunday.

Maleque said: "Helping hands of our neighbour at this time of distress is most welcome."

The Indian High Commissioner reiterated India's continued support to Bangladesh in its fight against Covid-19. The supplies were dispatched to the Central Medical Stores Depot of Bangladesh government.

India had handed over 30,000 surgical masks and 15,000 head-covers to Bangladesh Foreign Minister A.K. Abdul Momen on March 25 in the first tranche of assistance under the Covid-19 emergency fund.

After the March 15 video conference, two separate video conferences were held between health experts and trade representatives of SAARC nations to discuss trade facilitation and exchange of best practices on March 26 and April 8.

The Covid-19 emergency fund was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his video conference with SAARC leaders on March 15. It was set up with an initial contribution of $10 million from India.

According to Bangladeshi health authorities, the total number of confirmed cases in that country currently stood at 5,416, while the death toll has increased to 145 with the dreaded virus spreading to 61 of the country's 64 districts.