ZCZC
BSS-45
SATELLITE-BANGABANDHU-EARNING
Bangabandhu-I to reach break-even point in 9-yrs: BCSCL
DHAKA, Nov 14, 2019 (BSS) – Country’s first communication satellite Bangabandhu-I would reach break-even point within nine years, said Bangladesh Communication Satellite Company Limited (BCSCL), elaborating it is set to income Taka 125 crore annually from the sale of 26 percent capacity.
The company is also set to sign deals to sell another 25 percent capacity within next couple of months, BCSCL Chairman Dr Shahjahan Mahmood said today at a press briefing at his office.
He said so Bangabandhu-I has the opportunity to earn more than Taka 200 crore by selling the remaining capacity.
“We are mostly concentrating on the local market now following getting the huge demand inside the country, and at the same time, we have scope in regional markets as well,” he said.
Local market is much bigger than the primary estimation and it is growing at a high rate, added BCSCL Chairman.
BCSCL got Bangladesh Television as their first client and the state-owned television channel is paying Taka 18 crore annually.
The company will also earn Taka 60 crore from other private television channels. In addition, it is also getting Taka 4 crore from the ministries of shipping and fisheries.
Apart from this, the remaining amount is coming from the Direct-to-Home (DTH) service of Beximco Communications Limited, said Mahmood without revealing the deal value.
“We have done a very conservative calculation about the unsold capacity and estimated it will take hardly nine years to recover the total cost of the Bangabandhu-I satellite,” said the BCSCL Chairman.
The satellite was launched under a project involving Taka 2,765 crore.
The government is going to award another nine television channels and they will have to run their programs using this satellite which will enable BCSCL to get another Taka 15 crore.
Besides, Mahmood said they have started the process of launching country’s second satellite Bangabanhdu-II.
“An international consultant will be appointed within next two or three months to run feasibility study to get the demand of the type of second satellite that the government has promised to launch within its tenure by 2023,” he said.
Mahmood said as the first one is a communication satellite while the second one will be a hybrid satellite which can support both for weather forecast and ensure surveillance with other activities.
BCSCL managing director Shariar Ahmed Chowdhury and senior officials were also present at that time.
BSS/ASG/MAK/KU/1938 HRS