Bangladesh’s own workforce preparing for Bangabandhu-1

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Hitlar A Halim
Published : 08:00, May 22, 2018 | Updated : 23:56, May 22, 2018

Launcging of Bangabandhu Satellite-1 FILE PHOTOThe government is training a group of 30 people with a vision to operate the Bangabandhu -1 satellite with its own workforce.
Out of them, 18 will work in Gazipur and Rangamati ground stations while the rest 12 will provide civil and other engineering supports.
The satellite, designed and made by French company Thales Alenia, was launched from Florida earlier this month.
“I met some of them and they are simply brilliant,” a jubilant Telecom and ICT Minister Mostafa Jabbar told the Bangla Tribune.
In Gazipur ground station, 18 smart youths are working and four or five of them have aerospace background while the others have electrical and computer science background, he said.
Three French instructors from Thales Alenia are supposed to give them training for three years but they [the instructors] are of the view that ‘they might not be needed for that long as the trainees are learning very quick,” the minister said.
A senior Official of Bangladesh Telecom Regulatory Commission (BTRC) said, “These young professionals were recruited through a rigorous process. They were also sent to Thales Alenia headquarters to learn how to operate satellite, maintenance, signaling, observations and other different works.”
They will join the ground stations after completing their training, he said.
BTRC acting chairman Zahurul Haque said, “They are doing very well and we hope that they will prove their ability in the final stage [when the satellite starts to send signal from its orbital slot].”
Bangladesh Communication Satellite Company Limited Managing Director Md Saiful Islam hoped that the new generation youth will be able to operate the ground station.
On May 11, the satellite was successfully launched from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. SpaceX latest Falcon 9 Block 5 carried the satellite for the orbit located at 119.1 degree east.
In 2015, Bangladesh cleared a project for its own satellite, followed by the signing of Tk 20 billion loan deal between the telecoms regulator and France-based Thales Group for buying the satellite systems.
Ground station of Bangabandhu Satellite-1The ‘Bangabandhu’ Satellite received the green light at a cabinet meeting in 2015. BTRC signed a loan deal worth Tk 20 billion with Thales Group to buy 'satellite systems.'
Last year, a Tk 4 billion loan deal with the HSBC was signed to send the satellite into orbit.
Expected to save the Tk 14 million Bangladesh now spends every year on renting foreign satellites, the Bangabandhu-1 will have 40 transponders.
Bangladesh will use 20 and rent out the rest.
The satellite has 15 years for mission life span while another three years for its design.
The satellite will offer video services for Direct-to-Home (DTH), e-learning, Tele-medicine, Family Planning, Farming etc while voice service to cellular backhaul and disaster recovery, and data service for internet, SCADA, SOHO as well as business-to-business (VSAT).

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