Brushing aside earlier Russian proposals, the government has decided to set up the second satellite and send it into orbit with the assistance of France, insiders said on Wednesday.
The Ministry of Post and Telecommunications plans to secure financial and technical support from France, as officials deemed the Russian proposal "costly".
Bangladesh's first communications satellite, Bangabandhu-1, was designed and constructed by Thales Alenia Space -- a Franco-Italian aerospace manufacturer. It was launched into space from Florida in May 2018.
The Bangladesh Satellite Company Limited (BSCL) owns Bangabandhu-1, which cost the country around Tk 30 billion. Currently, all local television channels are broadcasting via the satellite, utilising around 40 per cent of Bangabandhu-1's capacity.
Bangladesh now plans to launch its second satellite in 2025, which will be dedicated to earth observation. In this regard, the country last year signed a memorandum of cooperation with Russian space firm Glavkosmos.
However, a senior ministry official said, "We have decided that we will not accept financial support from Russia for the earth observation satellite, as Moscow has offered terms and conditions that are deemed costly for its proposed loan."
"We have initiated discussions with France. Paris has assured us of a concessional loan for the satellite project," he told the FE, adding, "The French authorities have already shared their proposal with us. We will now seek further details about the terms and conditions of their financial and technical proposals."
The ministry official said, "The Bangabandhu Satellite-1 is primarily focused on communications. The planned satellite 2 will be dedicated to earth observation. With this satellite, we will have the capability to identify any place or establishment on the earth within our territory."
During the visit of French President Emmanuel Macron to Bangladesh in September this year, Dhaka and Paris signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to build and send the satellite-2 into space.
Both countries signed two agreements related to the management of urban municipalities and the construction of the first-ever earth observation satellite during the visit. Bangladesh also committed to purchasing 10 aircraft from Airbus.
An official at the Bangladesh Satellite Company Limited told the FE that the estimated project cost for satellite-2 is Tk 35 billion (US$335 million).
"We need nearly US$335 million for setting up satellite-2 in orbit. France has offered us a $333 million concessional loan for the project," said another Ministry of Post and Telecommunication official.
Russia's offer included a government-to-government (G-to-G) proposal with loan interests ranging from 6.0 to 14 per cent, he added.
"The loan from France will be concessional. The French government may provide the loan on a G-to-G basis, or its development agency AFD could assist us with concessional terms," explained the ministry official.
France is one of Bangladesh's major trade partners. Foreign trade between Dhaka and Paris has increased from €210 million ($225 million) in the early 1990s to €4.9 billion ($5.2 billion) now. France is now also the fifth largest destination for Bangladeshi exports.
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