Bangladesh to benefit from India's advancement in space

India and Bangladesh have agreed to move forward on bilateral cooperation in two high technology areas – nuclear field and space – at the recently held third round of the India-Bangladesh foreign ministers' Joint Consultative Commission (JCC) meeting. During their meeting in New Delhi last week, Foreign Ministers Sushma Swaraj and Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali noted with satisfaction that bilateral ties have become "truly multi-faceted", and acknowledged that high-level visits can infuse dynamism and momentum in bilateral ties.

In the last six years, the governments of both nations have flagged and signed memoranda of understanding on approximately 51 issues, and committed to address them. It may be recalled that during a recent visit to the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said he wanted the benefits of India's significant expertise in science and technology and space to reach other developing nations, especially member-nations of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). He urged ISRO to develop a satellite designed to serve all SAARC nations. 

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In recent times, the Asian space race has picked up momentum, with under-developed nations actively competing with each other to achieve scientific and technological advancements in space. Bangladesh is one such example. Referring to Bangladesh's interest in these areas, Joint Secretary (BM) Sripriya Ranganathan said, "We have had very preliminary discussions at the technical level with Bangladesh. We have put the offer on the table that whatever returns they feel that they can gain by collaborating with us, whatever be the form, we have given them more or less a carte blanche to tell us what they would like to do. So, we are awaiting their response to it."

Bangladesh is expected to launch its first satellite by 2017, opening a new era in communication and broadcasting and creating new businesses. So far, Bangladesh and Nepal have relied on foreign satellites, such as those provided by India, to access the extensive benefits that space technology offers. India, China, Japan, Iran and North Korea having successfully and independently launched satellites of their own; and Bangladesh is apparently keen to join this group.

A recent meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) in Bangladesh gave the go ahead to manufacture and launch of the satellite and two ground stations.

In 2012, the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission signed a Taka 82.5 crore consultancy deal with U.S.-based firm Space Partnership International (SPI) to design the satellite, named 'Bangabandhu 1', named after Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Once Bangladesh gets its own satellite, it expects to reduce its reliance on foreign satellites for cable channels and improve telecom services to the remote areas of the country. Moreover, meteorological data, including disaster warnings, will be easily available via the satellite. It might also be used for mapping natural resources.

However, question marks have reportedly arisen over the manner in which SPI has secured the government contract. It is being allegedly reported that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's son, Sajeeb Wazed, was involved in swinging the deal for SPI by allegedly asking the BTRC authorities to send him the shortlist of consultancy firms before finalization. The other firms that participated in the international bid were Southern Aerospace and Telecom Consulting (SATConsult), PT. Telekomunikasi Indonesia International, Globecomm and Tele Space System Inc. and Telesat.

While, it is important for any country to build space capabilities, it's equally important to ensure transparency in procedures and proper checks and balances are in place. There is no doubt that Bangladesh can immensely benefit from India's advancement in space technology, given Prime Minister Modi's outreach to help neighbours, and also his government's desire to be a partner in each nation's development.