Bangabandhu satellite has already been sold to two people, claims BNP

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir says the Bangabandhu-1 satellite, which was launched into orbit carrying a red-and-green Bangladesh flag on its side, is no longer owned by the Bangladesh government.

Fakhrul claimed that ownership of the satellite had been transferred ‘to two people’, but did not provide their names.

Bangladesh blasted into the space age with the successful launch of the Bangabandhu-1 satellite by SpaceX at the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral at 2:14am Bangladesh time on Saturday.

Farkrul's remarks came during a meeting at the National Press Club on Saturday afternoon in response to a question referring to Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader's criticism of the BNP over its silence regarding the success of the satellite.

“Do you know it [the Bangabandhu-1 satellite] has already been sold? It is now owned by two persons and you will have to pay them for this service.”

The government says it believes the Tk 30 billion project under the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission or BTRC will be able to earn significant revenue.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir addresses a protest rally organised by Jatiya Ganatantrik Odhikar Mancha at the National Press Club on Thursday, demanding the release of party chief Khaleda Zia from jail. Photo: Abdullah Al Momin

Information and Communication Minister Zunaid Ahamed Palak said the satellite will be used to provide three primary services - broadcast, telecommunication and data communication.

The government has said that 20 of the 40 transponders on the satellite have been reserved for Bangladesh, while the rest will be rented to other countries.

The government provided 44 percent of the budget for the satellite. Another 16.52 billion was covered by a loan from HSBC bank.

The Bangladesh Communication Satellite Company Limited or BCSCL is planning to start commercial use of the satellite within the next three months. The authority has already informed the media that they are ready to launch the company’s public shares on the stock market.

Fakhrul said the ‘success’ of the project was still to be seen.

In this discussion programme, the BNP leader also challenged the government about their legal right to fix several deals with foreign countries. He drew attention to five deals signed with the Indian government.

“Who has permitted her (the Prime Minister) to make these deals? This parliament was not elected. You say the deals were made on behalf of people, but these deals do not involve the people at all.”

Fakhrul questioned other deals made by the government, including the Rohingya repatriation deal and the unresolved Teesta water-sharing agreement.