Directorate General of Drug Administration (DGDA) of Bangladesh on Monday approved the Oxford University-AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine for emergency use, paving the way for importing the vaccine from Serum Institute of India.

The drug administration gave Beximco Pharmaceuticals Ltd, the local partner of Serum, the no objection certificate (NOC) required to import the shots branded Covishield.

Major General Mahbubur Rahman, director general of DGDA, said the DGDA gave the NOC to import the vaccine and approved its emergency use because registering it would be a time-consuming process.