Starlink, the satellite internet arm of United States-based aerospace company SpaceX, has received formal approval from the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (Bida) to commence operations in the country.
The clearance was confirmed by Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud Bin Harun, executive chairman of both Bida and the Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority, during a press briefing at the Foreign Service Academy on Sunday (6 April), ahead of the Bangladesh Investment Summit 2025.
"We gave the approval on the 29th of last month," he said.
Under current regulations, all foreign entities must register with Bida before conducting business in Bangladesh.
The development follows a high-level telephonic conversation held between Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus and Elon Musk, chief executive of SpaceX, to discuss potential collaboration and accelerate the rollout of Starlink's satellite internet services.
In March, multiple Bangladeshi firms signed agreements with Starlink to establish ground earth stations, during a visit by a delegation from the company.
Ashik Mahmud Bin Harun had earlier announced, at a separate briefing, that Starlink would stage a demonstration of its internet service during the upcoming summit.
However, he clarified that this would be a demonstration only, with a full commercial launch requiring additional time.
Last month, the chief adviser instructed relevant authorities to ensure Starlink’s commercial operations begin within 90 days.
Meanwhile, on 26/03/2025, the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission finalised its guidelines for satellite internet service providers.
These include provisions enabling state interception of internet content, and mirroring existing rules governing mobile and fibre broadband services.
