Bangladesh Television (BTV), the state-owned TV channel, will start airing its programmes in India on Monday (Sept 2) by using Bangabandhu 1, the country’s first communication satellite.

Information Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud will inaugurate airing the BTV programmes at 3 pm on Monday, reports State owned media agency BSS. State Minister for Information Dr Murad Hasan and Indian High Commissioner (IHC) to Bangladesh Riva Ganguly Das will attend the opening event at BTV’s Rampura office as special guests while information secretary Abdul Malek will chair the function, said a BTV media release.

All formalities have already been completed for airing BTV in India through DTH (Direct-To-Home) platform of Doordarshan, the state-owned TV channel of India as a connection between BS-1 and Indian Doordarshan was fixed on Jul 3.

On Jul 3, the BTV and Doordarshan’s technical teams saw BTV by down linking its programmes at Doordarshan’s earth station by fixing alignment of BS-1 (Bangabandhu Satellite).

Initially, the viewers would be able to watch BTV World service programmes in India.

Earlier, a working agreement was signed on May 7 to this end when the information and broadcasting minister of India approved the deal on Jun 19.