SpaceX VP Dreyer lauds Dhaka’s ‘efficiency’ in launching Starlink

She also praises the government's efforts in combatting corruption during a meeting with Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus

SpaceX Vice-President Lauren Dreyer has praised the Bangladesh government's coordinated efforts in facilitating the launch of Starlink in the country.

Dreyer met with Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus at the State Guest House Jamuna on Friday, the Chief Advisor’s Office (CAO) said in a statement.

Referring to Starlink’s presence in 150 countries and regions around the world, Dreyer said: "We have never seen such efficiency and decisiveness. On behalf of all my colleagues at SpaceX, I extend our appreciation to you. We look forward to working closely with your team.”

Addressing the chief advisor, she added: “On behalf of all my colleagues at SpaceX, I extend our appreciation to you. We look forward to working closely with your team."

Yunus thanked the SpaceX official for visiting Bangladesh.

“It’s a lovely time of year here, the monsoon season. Greenery and water everywhere. At the same time, we face challenges of flooding and waterlogging, which highlight the need for dependable technology to maintain connectivity,” he said.

Stressing the need for better communication infrastructure in the remote hilly regions of the country, he added: "These regions lack proper schools, teachers, and doctors. We have set a target to introduce online education in 100 schools, which will benefit students in isolated areas."

The chief advisor also emphasised the importance of integrated healthcare. “We are prioritising digital healthcare so that people in remote areas can consult doctors online. Their medical histories will be stored digitally, making future consultations easier.

"This is particularly important during pregnancy, a time when women often need male assistance to visit a doctor. With digital services, they can consult doctors from home,” he said.

Yunus believes Bangladeshi expatriates will also benefit from digital healthcare.

"Many hesitate to consult doctors abroad due to language barriers. With this system, they will be able to consult Bangladeshi doctors from overseas. We are implementing small initiatives here, but you can expand these projects on a global scale."

Praising Yunus’s vision, Dreyer said: “The example you are setting here can be shared with other leaders. If professor Yunus can do it in his country, then others can as well.” she said.

She also commended Yunus’ efforts in fighting corruption.

“Your initiatives to ensure that public services reach the people are highly commendable. A significant part of my work involves travelling around the world. I understand how serious an issue corruption can be. Using technology to decentralise services and improve governance is a meaningful vision,” she said.

The initiative to launch Starlink in Bangladesh began following a phone conversation between Yunus and SpaceX founder Elon Musk on Feb 14.

Subsequently, Starlink was granted two 10-year licences to operate in Bangladesh. Within a month of receiving the licences, Starlink began commercial operations in the country.