DHAKA: Bangabandhu-I satellite authority will provide free broadcast  service to all private TV channels for three months on the occasion of its 1st year launching anniversary.

Information Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud told reporters after emerging from a meeting with Association of Television Channel Owners (ATCO) at the secretariat of the ministry on Monday (March 11).

“May 12 is the 1st year launching anniversary of Bangabandhu-I satellite. Steps will be taken to broadcast all TV channels of Bangladesh through Bangabandhu-I satellite by May 12,” Dr Hasan Mahmud also told reporters.

The minister also said the ground station, which was set up in Joydevpur of Gazipur, will provide uplink and downlink through fiber optics by May 12. The BS-I authority will fix price through negotiation.

The BS-I was successfully launched from Florida of United States on May 11 of 2018.

Falcon 9, the finest rocket of American firm SpaceX, carried the satellite to the orbit from the Cape Canaveral launching pad.

Bangabandhu-1 satellite began its operational test with the broadcast of South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) championship without any technical issues.

The two ground stations, set up in Joydevpur of Gazipur and Betbunia of Rangmati, are monitoring the satellite for 24 hours.

The total expenditure on Bangabandhu satellite was about Tk 2,765 crore. Bangladesh government financed Tk 1000 crore while the rest was provided by foreign aids.

Bangladesh is the 57th satellite-owning country after launching the Bangabandhu-1 satellite.  

BDST:  2027 HRS, MAR 11, 2019

AH