Dhaka: Bangabandhu satellite will be launched on December 16, 2017, said state Minister for Post and Telecommunications Advocate Tarana Halim on Saturday.

‘Our overall preparation is going on well in this regard. Two ground stations are being built for the satellite in Gazipur and Betbunia. We have achieved victory over sea, now it is the turn for the space,’ BSS quoted her as saying while talking to the journalists on her visit to the site for Bangabandhu Satellite Ground Station at Telecommunication Staff College area in Telipara of Gazipur town.

‘The proposed expenditure for the project is Taka 1,951 crore and we will be able to recover the money in six to seven years of the blast-off. Lands measuring five acres each have been acquired in two proposed sites,’ Tarana said.

She said Bangladesh will be able to save huge amount of foreign currency once the satellite is positioned in the orbit and it will be a great boost for our telecommunication.

‘Government is working relentlessly for increasing the speed of internet. The finger prints taken for registering mobile phone seam will not be stored. It will only be compared with the finger prints taken for national identity card,’ Tarana added.

Managing director of Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) Gholam Fakhruddin Ahmed, additional deputy commissioner (revenue) of Gazipur Farzana Mannan, were present on the occasion, among others.