Bangladesh’s first satellite, Bangladesh Satellite-1, has generated a total net profit of Tk163.97 crore through commercial operations over the past five fiscal years, while earning Tk764.10 crore in total revenue, Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology Minister Faqir Mahbub Anam has said.
The minister disclosed the information in Parliament on Wednesday during the question-and-answer session of the 14th sitting of the first session of the 13th National Parliament. He was responding to a written question from Comilla-4 lawmaker Md Abul Hasnat.
In his question, Md Abul Hasnat asked how much net profit Bangladesh Satellite Company Limited (BSCL) had earned from Bangladesh Satellite-1 over the past five years and sought the economic justification for the proposed launch of Bangladesh Satellite-2. He also questioned whether the second satellite could become another “white elephant” project.
Although the MP referred to the satellite as “Bangabandhu Satellite” in his written question, the minister used the name “Bangladesh Satellite” in his response.
The interim government renamed infrastructure previously named after Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his family members, Bangabandhu Satellite was officially renamed Bangladesh Satellite. Since then, government documents have referred to it as Bangladesh Satellite.
The minister said Bangladesh Satellite-1 is currently being used commercially and contributes to the country’s economy and communications sector by providing services such as television broadcasting for public and private channels, Direct-to-Home (DTH) services, VSAT services, satellite bandwidth sales abroad and emergency telecommunications during disasters.
According to BSCL’s financial reports presented in Parliament, Bangladesh Satellite-1 earned Tk129.11 crore in revenue and Tk84.25 crore in net profit in fiscal year 2020–21. In 2021–22, it generated Tk130.66 crore in revenue and Tk85.29 crore in net profit.
In 2022–23, the satellite recorded revenue of Tk147.99 crore but posted a net loss of Tk73.57 crore. It returned to profitability in 2023–24 with revenue of Tk169.56 crore and net profit of Tk29.64 crore. In 2024–25, revenue rose to Tk187.07 crore, while net profit reached Tk38.36 crore.
Overall, the satellite generated Tk764.10 crore in revenue and Tk163.97 crore in cumulative net profit over the five-year period.
The minister explained that the loss recorded in 2022–23 was largely due to the transfer of the satellite’s assets to BSCL on June 30, 2022, and the inclusion of depreciation costs from that fiscal year onward. He said profitability recovered in subsequent years.
Regarding Bangladesh Satellite-2, the minister told Parliament that the project is being planned as an Earth observation satellite. It is expected to support agriculture, fisheries, disaster management, maritime vessel tracking, the blue economy and overall maritime security.
He said the government has initiated steps to conduct a feasibility study to ensure the project’s economic viability and effectiveness.
The minister added that several internationally renowned satellite manufacturers have expressed interest in collaborating on the project. Proposals have already been received from three companies and are currently under review and evaluation. Final decisions on the project will be taken after the feasibility study is completed, he said.
