Thales Alenia Space which developed Bangladesh's first geostationary communications satellite, Bangabandhu-1, has handed over its transmission and operation management to Bangladesh.
A delegation of the Franco-Italian aerospace company handed over relevant documents to acting Chairman of Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) Md Jahurul Haque at a function at the Bangladesh Communication Satellite Company Limited (BCSCL) office at Banglamotor in the capital on Friday evening.
Later, the acting BTRC transferred the documents to BCSCL Chairman Dr Shahjahan Mahmood at the programme.
Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology Minister Mustafa Jabbar and French Ambassador to Bangladesh Marie-Annick Bourdin were present at the handover ceremony.
Thales Alenia Space designed and built the satellite launched into the orbit on May 11 last.
Bangladesh will now start the commercial activities of the satellite, Bangabandhu-1.
Earlier, the BCSCL appointed Thai firm Thaicom Public Limited Company as the consultant for commercially launching the activities the satellite abroad.
Bangladesh entered the elite Space Club of 57 nations with the launch of its first geostationary communications satellite into the orbit by US space transport company SpaceX on May 12.
The satellite was launched using the latest version of SpaceX's upgraded Falcon 9 Block 5 rocket, from the historic Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral.
Two ground stations -– one in Betbunia of Rangamati and the other at Joydevpur of Gazipur -– have been set up to control the satellite.