Bangabandhu Satellite’s contractor to be finalized in Sept

Shofikul Islam Lenin: The government will finalize the main contractor of Bangabandhu Satellite-1 in September this year, aimed at opening new window of opportunities in the telecommunication sector of the country by launching its first ever satellite.

Secretary of Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) Sarwar Alam said this to risingbd.

The government has floated tender to implement the Bangabandhu Satellite-1 project and four companies have submitted their papers. At now those papers are being scrutinized and it will be finalized in September, he said.

Meanwhile, BTRC inked a landmark deal with INTERSPUTNIK International Organisation of Space Communications,  a satellite company from Russia,  to obtain an orbital slot to launch the country maiden satellite.

On September 16, 2014, the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) approved Tk 2,967 crore for the Bangabandhu-1 project. Of that fund, Tk 1,652.44 crore came from foreign aid, and the remaining Tk1,315.51 crore will be paid by the government,  a BTRC official said.

According to the project proposal, the satellite would minimise the existing digital divide between the country’s urban and rural areas as it would take broadcasting and telecommunication services to the most remote areas of the country, and introduce profitable and promising services such as direct service to households throughout the country.

According to the project documents, BTRC has selected two locations for ground handling – Telecom staff college in Gazipur and Betbunia Earth Station in Rangamati.

When launched, the Bangabandhu-1 satellite will serve the Saarc countries along with Indonesia and the Philippines as well as the ‘Stan’ countries – such as Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan – if the satellite’s frequency is properly coordinated.

It is expected that the Bangabandhu-1 Satellite will be launched in 1017.

Risingbd/DHAKA/July 12, 2015/Lelin/Mukul