Dhaka: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday called BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir an imbecile and ignorant man for raising a question about the ownership of the country’s first satellite, Bangabandhu-1.

‘Of course, Bangladesh is the owner of this satellite, Bangladesh government is the owner of this satellite like other government entities,’ she said, reports the UNB.

The Prime Minister said this while responding to a supplementary question from ruling party MP Fazilatun Nasa Bappy during the PM’s question-answer session in Parliament.

The BNP secretary general at a programme last month alleged that the ownership of the country’s first satellite, Bangabandhu-1, went to two people, but he did not mention their names.

The Prime Minister said two people must not be the owners of the Bangabandhu-1. ‘This is shameful to make such comments,’ she said.

Sheikh Hasina, however, said if anyone takes any transponder of the satellite on rent then that person could use a specific space.

Of the 40 transponders of the satellite, Bangladesh can use at best 20, she said adding, ‘The rest of the transponders can be used by Saarc member countries and Indonesia, the Philippines, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.’

The Prime Minister wondered why the BNP secretary general made such comments. ‘Such remarks cannot be made if anyone has love for the country and its people, and if one believes in the Independence of the country. When the whole nation is very happy with the launching of the satellite, why the BNP is so upset?’

Hasina mentioned that the Information Ministry has allowed two people to run Direct Television to Home (DTH) business in the country using the satellite. ‘I don’t know, whether the opposition leader indicated that, but I don’t understand how with this the ownership of the whole satellite has been transferred to them,’ she said.

The Prime Minister said these types of imbecile and ignorant comments are not acceptable to the nation.

‘With this, the nation has been able to understand they (BNP) don’t love the country, they don’t have any idea about technology. And that’s why the country couldn’t make progress during their regime,’ she told the House.