Interim govt reviews Bangladesh Satellite Company's past activities

The interim government is reviewing the past activities of Bangladesh Satellite Company Limited (BSCL), according to Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology Adviser Md Nahid Islam.

During a meeting with the BSCL officials today (2 October) at the state-owned company, Nahid stated that the former head of BSCL had been involved in corruption and irregularities, which hindered the company's progress.

BSCL Chairman and Secretary of the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications, Md Mushfiqur Rahman, revealed that a five-member committee, comprising BSCL board members, has been formed to investigate any legal violations in past operations.

"Based on their recommendations, appropriate actions will be taken," he added.

In response to the adviser's inquiry on costs and benefits, BSCL Managing Director Md Zahirul Islam noted that outcomes had fallen short of expectations due to excessive costs.

He also disclosed that the BSCL has not filed tax returns for the past five years, resulting in a substantial unpaid amount, now estimated at around Tk100 crore.

Zahirul Islam, while briefing on the company's strengths, weaknesses, and challenges, mentioned that valuable equipment had been damaged due to power outages in Betbunia and inadequate transport infrastructure.

He requested the adviser's intervention in these matters.

The adviser visited the BSCL's monitoring centre, TRP (television rating points) operations, telemedicine, and e-learning systems. 

Senior BSCL officials were present, while representatives from satellite ground stations in Gazipur and Betbunia participated online.

BSCL launched its first communication satellite, Bangabandhu Satellite-1, in May 2018 at a project cost of Tk2,765 crore. 

Its financial returns have been questioned due to underutilised capacity and poor revenue generation.