The US-based satellite internet service provider Starlink has received approval from the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority to operate in the country, said Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud Bin Harun, executive chairman of Bangladesh Investment Development Authority and Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority.
He spoke at a press conference on Sunday regarding the Bangladesh Investment Summit 2025 in the capital.
Responding to a question, he said that BIDA rolled out the NGSO policy for Starlink on March 29 as a public domain. Then, Starlink applied for a BIDA license, which was completed. The company has now applied for an NGSO license, and BIDA will try to provide Starlink with the required license as soon as possible.
‘After providing a license, they can start operating any day. Maybe they require some time to import their devices and to formulate a model of operating the services here,’ he added.
He also said the summit will run through Starlink from Hotel InterContinental on April 9, and visitors can connect their private devices through Starlink too.
Responding to a question, he said that access to the Internet would be a right, and people from either the Chattogram Hill Tracts or the northern area of the country could access it whenever they wanted.
With its low-Earth orbit satellite technology, Starlink aims to offer high-speed internet in regions with limited or non-existent traditional broadband infrastructure.
The move also signals growing interest from global tech giants in Bangladesh’s digital infrastructure sector, as the country continues to position itself as an emerging destination for investment and innovation.
Earlier on February 13, chief adviser Muhammad Yunus held an extensive telephone discussion with Elon Musk, SpaceX’s chief executive officer, to explore future collaboration and advance the introduction of Starlink’s satellite internet services in Bangladesh.
Last month, several Bangladeshi firms signed agreements with Starlink to support the establishment of ground earth stations in the country. The contracts were signed during a Starlink team visit to Bangladesh.
At another press briefing on March 23, Ashik Mahmud Bin Harun announced that Starlink would demonstrate its internet services during the Bangladesh Investment Summit 2025.
However, this will only be a demo, not the commercial launch, which will take longer.
By Saddam Hossain
Photo: BSS
