ZCZC
BSS-13
PM-BB-SATELLITE-2 LAST DHAKA
Sheikh Hasina said with the inauguration of the commercial transmission of the private television channels using the Bangabandhu Satellite-1, the country’s broadcast industry is going to enter a new era as it will save a huge amount of foreign currency to be paid by the local TVs as rent.
“We are now standing up on our own feet through the inauguration which removed the foreign dependency to this end, saving huge amount of money,” she said.
The Bangabandhu Satellite-1, which was successfully launched on May 12 last year, has created huge opportunities in employment generation and is being used in multifaceted purposes such as reaching healthcare services and quality education to all the people through telemedicine and e-education, getting advanced forecast of weather and other facilities, she said.
The premier said her government has been working to launch massively the Bangabandhu Satellite-2 as a satellite has lifetime of 15 years.
“Some people were making jokes when we introduced the digital Bangladesh,” she said, adding that the countrymen are now getting benefit of it.
Mentioning that her government launched Bangabandhu Satellite-1 in the outer space on 12th May 2018, Sheikh Hasina said through the satellite launching Bangladesh reached a new height of glory.
The Prime Minister said the commercial broadcasting through this satellite will remove broadcasting related problems of the electronic media and will decrease foreign dependency resulting in saving huge currency.
Mentioning that the satellite technology will create huge employment opportunities directly or indirectly, she said the quality of telecommunication and broadcasting will increase through it.
The Prime Minister said there are 40 transponders in the Bangabandhu Satellite-1 and among those, 20 will be utilized in the country and other 20 will be leased to the other countries to earn foreign currency.
Mentioning a company has been formed named ‘Bangla Communication Satellite Company’ to administer the satellite, she said the satellite will play a significant role in telecommunication services in the costal and remote areas of the country in disaster management.
The premier said people of the remote areas will get better healthcare through telemedicine services using the satellite.
The equality education can be reached across the country through e-education technology, she added.
The Prime Minister said Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Aviation and Aerospace University has already been set up in Lalmonirhat for higher studies over outer space.
Describing various activities of her government to build a digital Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina said the government installed optical fibers and expanded 3-G and 4-G services to the remote areas along with the free flow of information technology.
Besides, internet facilities have been expanded to the remote areas and around 5,800 digital centers set up at the union level, she added.
The premier said the only motto of her government is to ensure welfare of the countrymen and building a poverty- and hunger-free developed and prosperous country as dreamt by father of the nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
She said her government has been implementing mega projects such as Padma Bridge, Karnaphuli Tunnel and Metrorail to give the people a better life.
The premier said her government has been establishing 100 economic zones across the country which will create huge employments.
She said her government is working on to increase foreign investment and income from export.
“It is necessary to diversify export of our goods to increase the export,” she added.
BSS/AHJ/GA/1606 hrs