Starlink trial run in InterContinental Dhaka on Apr 9

Tech billionaire Elon Musk’s satellite internet service Starlink is set to conduct its trial run in Bangladesh.

Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud Bin Harun, executive chairman of Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA), said Starlink would commence the demo-test for its internet services on Apr 9.

Harun made the announcement during a press conference at the Foreign Service Academy on Sunday.

He said the service would be tested at the InterContinental Dhaka on the opening day of the International Investment Conference.

“We are working with many organisations on Starlink,” he said.

“We will use Starlink on the ninth [Apr 9]... That will be a test day or demo day for us.”

The conference’s opening ceremony, he added, would be streamed live on social media using Starlink’s network.

The government aims to fully implement Starlink’s services within 90 days of the trial, Harun noted.

Asked whether Musk, the chief executive of Tesla and SpaceX, would attend the conference, he said no immediate plans had been made for his visit.

“If he was coming, everyone would have already known about it. It is being launched on a trial basis now,” he said.

“When it will be launched on a full scale, the government will try to bring Musk.”

The Dhaka International Investment Conference, scheduled from Apr 7 to Apr 10, aims to attract foreign direct investment (FDI) to Bangladesh.

Although the conference will commence two days earlier, its formal inauguration is set for Apr 9, with Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus presiding over the ceremony.

Harun said the event would spotlight investment prospects in five key sectors: renewable energy, the digital economy, garments and textiles, healthcare and pharmaceuticals, and agro-processing.

“Each topic will be discussed in separate sessions, where business representatives from different countries will be present,” he said.