The Chief Adviser, Dr. Muhammad Yunus, has directed the commercial launch of Starlink’s satellite broadband service in Bangladesh within 90 days, according to a press release from his office on Tuesday, March 25.

During its test phase, Starlink utilized a foreign satellite broadband gateway, but once commercially operational in Bangladesh, the company will adhere to the NGSO policy and use a local broadband gateway or IIG.

Earlier, on March 23, Ashiq Chowdhury, Chairman of the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA), announced that Starlink’s internet service would undergo test usage at the investment summit starting April 9. The four-day summit, beginning April 7 in Dhaka, will see the experimental implementation of Starlink’s internet, with technical support from Bangladesh Satellite Company Limited (BSCL).

On March 9, at a discussion titled “Ensuring Affordable, High-Speed Internet at the Grassroots Level” held at the Press Club, Faiz Ahmad Tayyab, Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser for the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications, and Information Technology, stated that Starlink would be introduced in Bangladesh at any cost. He emphasized the need for a policy ensuring that no government could shut down the internet under any circumstances.

A day earlier, on March 8, Tayyab mentioned that a Starlink delegation was visiting Bangladesh and had signed agreements with various institutions to facilitate the launch of its services. Discussions on project location and implementation are ongoing. He further stated that Starlink would provide reliable, high-speed internet in urban areas, remote regions, northern districts, and coastal zones, unaffected by load-shedding or natural disasters. Given the limited expansion of telecom-grade fiber networks and persistent power outages in rural areas, Starlink aims to empower entrepreneurs, freelancers, NGOs, and SMEs by enhancing digital economic initiatives. The government plans to develop a viable model with Starlink within the next 90 days.

Additionally, Dr. Muhammad Yunus invited Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX and founder of Starlink, to visit Bangladesh and participate in the formal launch of the service. The Chief Adviser emphasized that Musk’s visit would allow him to engage with Bangladesh’s youth, who stand to benefit the most from this cutting-edge technology.