Special dialogue Held on Bangladesh Satellite’s Future Roadmap from Space to the Blue Economy

Jan 6, 2026 22:36

A discussion meeting was held on Tuesday, January 6th, regarding the strategic direction of Bangladesh Satellite Company Limited (BSCL) in the coming days. The meeting, held in the Grand Ballroom of the Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel in Dhaka, featured detailed discussions on the future direction of Bangladesh in the satellite and space sector.

Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Advisor for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Water Resources, and Information and Broadcasting, was present as the Chief Guest at the event. Abdun Naser Khan, Chairman of the BSCL Board of Directors and Secretary of the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications, presided over the event. Faiz Ahmed Taiyeb, Special Assistant to the Chief Advisor, in charge of the Ministry of Post, Telecommunication and Information Technology, was present as a Special Guest.

In her address as the Chief Guest, Syeda Rizwana Hasan said that the real benefits of satellites can be achieved if their use is increased in ensuring good governance, natural resource management, and disaster management. This will ensure accountability, reduce corruption, and decrease crime. She stated that the multi-dimensional use of satellite technology is the need of the hour.

She further added that satellites are essential for national security, capacity building, water resource management, and urban planning. In this regard, the capacity of Bangladesh Satellite Company Limited (BSCL) needs to be further enhanced. She also called for increased coordination among the relevant ministries.

Thanking BSCL for becoming a profitable company for the first time since its inception, Faiz Ahmed Taiyeb said that BSCL will be able to solve specific problems of various government ministries through Earth Observation Satellites. In particular, its effective use is possible in many sectors including agriculture, disaster management, weather, and forestry. He emphasized identifying problems and finding solutions through technology.

Abdun Naser Khan, Chairman of the BSCL Board of Directors and Secretary of the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications, said that BSCL is working on new technologies in the satellite industry. In today's world, various problems are being solved through satellite technology. BSCL will work on diversifying satellite technology in the coming years to solve various problems.

Taking part in the discussion, Abu Taher Md. Jaber, Secretary of the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, said that there are currently about 30,000 fishing boats, which are difficult to track. Ensuring the safety of fishermen will be possible if these boats can be tracked at an affordable price.

Md. Anwar Hossain, Secretary of the Ministry of Science and Technology, said that remote sensing is a very important sector. Space-based research activities will be conducted jointly with BSCL for research and innovation. He expressed hope that Bangladesh will be able to create a visible position in the space industry within the next 10 years.

Dr. Md. Emdad Ullah Mian, Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, said that there is a 25-year long-term plan in the agricultural sector. To ensure food security, work will be done on determining the quantity of crops produced via satellite, weather forecasting, and analysing land use in hilly areas.

Dr. Md. Imadur Rahman, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of BSCL, presented the keynote paper at the event. Rear Admiral (Retd.) Abul Kalam Azad highlighted what BSCL should do in the blue economy. Besides, Professor Dr. Saifur Rahman Bakul of the Department of Aerospace Engineering, Bangladesh Aerospace University, highlighted the direction in which Bangladesh can come to the forefront in the space industry.

DBTech/UH/MUM