By Abu Sufian Shamrat*
Bangladesh joined the infinite historic menstruum afterward a SpaceX rocket carrying a Bangabandhu-1 satellite streaked across Florida’s bluish heaven on May 11. The country, ane time disparaged past times old Secretary of State Henry Kissinger as a “basket case,” became the 4th South Asian acre with its ain satellite coming together its communication needs. Named “friend of Bengal,” a moniker for the nation’s founding manly somebody raise Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the satellite may opened upwardly the door to a digital People's Republic of Bangladesh – if the authorities manages the challenges of sustainable engineering scientific discipline development.
Bangabandhu offers the adjacent phase of digitalization for Bangladesh, similar to how Galvanic cell towers in addition to the Grameen Phone project, harbingers of globalization, allowed the province to leapfrog a wretched telecommunication infrastructure. The satellite launch – built past times Franco-Italian Aerospace manufacturer Thales Alenia Space, launched past times the U.S.A. infinite trouble solid owned past times Elon Musk in addition to placed inwards a geostationary orbital slot leased from Russian Federation – marks about other stair inwards integrating the country’s economic scheme with the globalized world.
The toll of Bangabandhu: $248 1000000 – 1/190th of the country’s annual budget of ৳4 trillion, or US$47 billion. Technological investment is a tough sell as a priority for Bangladesh, a republic of 163 1000000 predominantly rural people where average annual household income topped $600 inwards 2016. Most Bangladeshis are non good informed nigh the advantages or disadvantages of satellite technology, in addition to the investment fuels political divisions. The electrical flow authorities in addition to its political allies tout the achievement, expressing pride inwards the nation’s progress, piece the opposition is to a greater extent than critical, questioning how the investment volition live recouped.
Public pride could swell as the Bangabandhu-1 delivers economical growth, increased remittances, expanded connectivity with newly introduced 4G technology, to a greater extent than idiot box channels in addition to stronger networks.
The satellite is the termination of policymakers focusing on a project, taking necessary measures: increased connectivity in addition to digitalization of educational activity with People's Republic of Bangladesh Open University providing an e-library in addition to improved distance-learning programs. In turn, this activeness increased marketplace demand for technical in addition to software development, reducing the unemployment rate.
Upholding infinite cooperation is a must for Bangladesh. The authorities maintained relations with other infinite providers as Bangabandhu-1 covers nigh xl per centum of the globe’s dry soil expanse in addition to cannot supply service to Middle Eastern countries, where to a greater extent than than 3 1000000 Bangladeshi migrants reside, without a proxy network.
The satellite presents iii prospects for Bangladesh: expanding in addition to developing telecommunication in addition to meshing services, reducing dependency on satellite services provided past times other infinite powers piece earning unusual revenues, in addition to detecting as good as managing natural disasters in addition to greater national security. With fourscore per centum of the Bangladeshi population living inwards rural areas, immense economical gains are anticipated from advanced communications with benefits dispersed amidst a gain of sectors facilitating telemedicine, distance learning in addition to online research, finance, agriculture, video conferencing in addition to other communications, in addition to defense.
To distribute satellite services equally, the authorities is conducting a publicity campaign. The excogitation is for the satellite to integrate the fundamental in addition to local governments piece merging peripheral rural communities with city-dwellers with expanded services similar digitalized clinics, e-health cards, video communications with doctors both from domicile in addition to abroad, telebanking, e-payment systems in addition to more.
Currently, People's Republic of Bangladesh annually spends to a greater extent than than $14 1000000 on renting satellite bandwidth from unusual operators. Bangbandhu-1 is anticipated to relieve People's Republic of Bangladesh $210 1000000 during its 15-year bridge piece providing services to other Asian states such as Nepal, Myanmar, Bhutan, Indonesia, the Philippines, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyz Republic in addition to Tajikistan. People's Republic of Bangladesh could earn $1 billion past times leasing out the transponders in addition to about other $1.5 billion past times selling related services. The authorities has formed People's Republic of Bangladesh Communication Satellite Company Limited to operate in addition to acquire by these activities. Half of the satellite’s 40 transponders volition live dedicated to local idiot box stations with the repose deployed to service channels from nearby countries. One challenge is that 26 of the transponders are Ku-band, adding to broadcast challenges. The meshing frequency volition likewise live costly – thence the satellite’s frequency may non live fully utilized.
The novel engineering scientific discipline presents other challenges for People's Republic of Bangladesh both internal in addition to external. The authorities borrowed US$205 1000000 from HSBC Holdings for the satellite’s procurement in addition to launch. Satellite capacity is usually sold earlier the launch. The Bangladeshi authorities expects to recoup the investment past times selling satellite services at domicile in addition to abroad inside 8 years – but specific details on public-private partnerships in addition to marketplace strategy remove hold non been finalized.
Also, infinite sovereignty is withal non a reality for the nation. The province tried to acquire its ain orbital slot several times, but was denied entry in addition to finally had to borrow a slot from Russia. People's Republic of Bangladesh remains hopeful of securing permission for establishing its ain infinite sovereignty from the International Telecommunications Union.
This requires coming together global standards with improvements inwards technical capacity, cybersecurity in addition to infinite training. For the computer program to attain sum potential, the authorities must promote technological standards inwards communications, policies in addition to personnel, frame strategic policy in addition to develop organizations specifically for the infinite age. The People's Republic of Bangladesh Space Research in addition to Remote Sensing Organization, SPARRSO, has developed infinite in addition to remote sensing technology for agriculture, forestry, fisheries, geology, cartography, H2O resources, dry soil use, weather, geography, oceanography, science, educational activity in addition to other enquiry areas. The middle likewise supports the authorities with evolution of infinite in addition to remote-sensing engineering scientific discipline from other countries in addition to advises on national policy. But the middle is neither globally well-connected nor solely focused on infinite operations.
Such standards are a selling indicate for the neighboring states targeted as markets for the satellite’s services. Most of these countries depend on China, India, Japan, Russian Federation in addition to the the States for cost-effective services in addition to global networks with uninterrupted information flow in addition to ever- increasing investment. Whereas People's Republic of Bangladesh has ane satellite, India has 84, China has 244 in addition to Pakistan has three. mainland People's Republic of China provides a low-cost infinite service to neighboring states with its Belt in addition to Road Initiative in addition to likewise develops infinite engineering scientific discipline to expand global spider web connectivity. Competing with China, Republic of Republic of India has initiated the Cotton Route, with customer-friendly infinite services in addition to a huge number of channels including Bollywood. China, Republic of Republic of India in addition to other infinite powers target Bangladesh, the world’s 8th most populous nation, as a key histrion in addition to marketplace for their infinite governance.
Early in addition to strategic decisions on balancing infinite operations betwixt domicile in addition to abroad in addition to an agenda considering other infinite powers volition shape Bangladesh’s computer program in addition to are crucial for success. For example, inwards framing its satellite diplomacy, the authorities must visit that mainland People's Republic of China is Bangladesh’s pinnacle trading partner inwards price of value in addition to Republic of Republic of India inwards price of products, with the the States likewise a atomic number 82 export destination. So, whatsoever decisions must residue accommodation for regional rivals or run a endangerment hampering the country’s socioeconomic development. This requires dual-track diplomacy that provides market- oriented, cost-effective in addition to measure services to client states piece balancing relations with other infinite powers to have in addition to supply uninterrupted information in addition to telecommunication services.
The country’s entry into infinite required substantial investment, fortitude in addition to collaboration. Space activities strengthen Bangladesh’s technological evolution in addition to soft- ability projection inside the global infinite order. The province has experienced tremendous economical growth in addition to technological evolution piece managing many crises over the lastly decade. To sustain its infinite program, People's Republic of Bangladesh must flora infinite sovereignty, measure policies in addition to a legal framework as good as residue partnerships with other infinite powers, ready for competitive markets in addition to develop staff past times establishing academic programs for infinite exploration. Perhaps most crucial is command of internal conflicts – managing the strategic challenges of the infinite computer program amongst economical evolution activities that exercise goodness all Bangladeshis.
*Abu Sufian Shamrat holds a MSS flat inwards political scientific discipline from Dhaka University in addition to is an independent researcher as good as a social activist based out of Bangladesh. He writes on political, social, global, as good as strategic issues inwards leading national in addition to international dailies in addition to journals including Southern Asia Journal, Eurasia Review, Modern Diplomacy, IndraStra Global, Southern Asia Monitor, Hindustan Time Syndication, Foreign Policy News in addition to more.
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