Russia has expressed its interest to invest in Bangladesh's telecommunication sector with the aim to accelerating the country's journey towards digitalisation.
Moscow also showed interest to help and cooperate with Bangladesh in its space programme. Russia said it is also interested to give Bangladesh financial and technical supports in propelling the country's second satellite - Bangabandhu-2.
Russia showed the interests during a meeting between Russian Ambassador to Dhaka Alexander I Ignatov and Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology Minister Mustafa Jabbar at the latter's office in Dhaka on Tuesday.
A five-member team of Russian satellite technology company Glavkosmos, whch is visiting Bangladesh, also joined the meeting.
Ignatov led the Russian team in the meeting where issues related to Bangabandhu-2 satellite and possible Russian investment in the country's telecommunications sector.
Bangladesh's post and communications division is working on the project to make and install Bangabandhu-2 satellite. According to the ruling party's manifesto of the last (Dec, 2018) Parliamentary elections, the mission to build Bangabandhu-2 is scheduled to end by 2023.
The Russian delegation said they would extend supports for the financial and technical feasibility tests of Bangabandhu-2.
Besides, Moscow would further extend its supports to Dhaka in the country's telecommunication sector, including Teletalk, said the telecom ministry quoting the Russian delegates as saying.
Bangladesh's first satellite - Bangabandhu Satellite-1 was was manufactured by Thales Alenia Space and launched on 11 May, 2018. Bangabandhu-1 is a geostationary communications and broadcasting satellite. It was launched from Kennedy Space Center on Merritt Island, Florida, USA.
The delegation praised Bangladesh's journey towards digitalisation and the progress made in technology sector. Bangladesh has huge potential in technology sector and Russia is keen to invest in this sector, the ministry said.
Mustafa Jabbar highlighted different projects of the government in this sectors and recalled Russian contribution to the Libration War and the under-construction Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant Project in Iswardi.
The other members of the Russian delegation at the meeting were senior officials of Glavkosmos - Vitali Safonov, Sergey Barykin, Alexander Kvashnin and Kirill Plotnikov.
From Bangladesh side, Bangladesh Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (BTRC) Chairman Md Jahurul Haque and BTCL Managing Director Md Azizul Islam along with senior officials of the ministry were present.
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