Special Correspondent: The prime minister made the comments inaugurating the satellite landing stations named after Sajeeb Wazed at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC) on Tuesday
 

Ensuring the country’s economic development in a democratic environment, ensuring the people’s right to vote and food is her government’s goal, said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

“We want to create a democratic environment inside the country,” she said. “With that, we will ensure people’s right to vote and food.”

The prime minister made the comments inaugurating the satellite landing stations named after Sajeeb Wazed at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC) on Tuesday, reports UNB.

The prime minister said Bangladesh has been recognized as a developing country, and her government is organizing programs for the country’s overall development. She said the government wants to take her country forward keeping itsdignity intact.

Hasina said her country’s people will get various services like education, health, and weather forecasts from the recently launched Bangabandhu Satellite-1. She hoped the satellite would contribute to the overall development of the country.

The program was chaired by Post and Telecommunications Minister Mustafa Jabbar, and addressed by Finance Minister AMA Muhith, Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu, the prime minister’s Adviser on Information and Communication Technology Affairs (ICT) Sajeeb Wazed Joy, State Minister for Information and Communication Technology Division Zunaid Ahmed Palak, Post and Telecom Secretary Shyam Sunder Sikder, and Bangladesh Communication Satellite Company Limited (BCSCL) Chairman Dr Shahjahan Mahmood.

Sajeeb Wazed  Joy said he has a dream of providing broadband internet to every corner of the country. There are many places- like unions or islands- where it is impossible to link fiber optics, Joy said, where his government wants to provide broadband internet connection through Bangabandhu Satellite-1.

And to do that, it will not take a huge amount of money or time, Joy said. “It can be done within the next two weeks,” he said.

E-education will reach remote islands with the help of this satellite, Joy said. He hoped the people of this country would see the whole world through the satellite, and assured the government is working towards building Bangladesh as a modern country.

Joy further said the masses will be able to enjoy direct satellite television service, known as Direct to Home (DTH) connection, with Bangabandhu Satellite-1. “I want those who live in rural areas to seethe world so that nobody is left behind anymore,” he said.

The ICT adviser urged the information minister, who was present at the program, to look into the matter. He wanted the government to remain open so it would enable people to seethe whole world and learn from it.

Joy continued by saying that through the launching of the satellite, there would not be any digital divide in the country. “I do not want urban people to move forward while the rural get left behind; our government will eradicate that,” he said.

Television channels will be able to use the Bangabandhu-1 satellite in broadcasting their programs, saving foreign currency, Joy said.

He said he had noticed the country’s youth showing interest in space and aerospace technologies after the launch of the satellite. “This has never happened in Bangladesh before,” he said. “I hope students will get higher education on these subjects from abroad, then come back home to engage in operating the satellite.”

Joy said, above all the launch was a matter of pride, as it would allow the country to stand tall in front of the whole world. “We have done this several times during the Awami League government,” he said.

The prime minister also released a commemorative stamp marking the launching of the Bangabandhu Satellite and inauguration of the ground stations in Gazipur and Betbunia.

Later, Hasina talked by video conference to officials working at the Gazipur and Betbunia ground stations.