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Bangabandhu Satellite Ground Station Betbunia
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Rangamati’s Betbunia Ground Station is ready to serve as the secondary control centre for Bangladesh’s first satellite, Bangabandhu-1, which was launched into space early Saturday.

The satellite will be primarily controlled from the Bangabandhu Satellite Primary Ground Station in Gazipur’s Telipara.

The Rangamati Ground Station has been set up on a five-acre plot at Kawkhali upazila’s Betbunia Satellite Earth Station. The project’s infrastructure was constructed by Bangladeshi company Spectra Engineering Limited appointed by France’s Thales Alenia Space. The construction began in 2016.

Betbunia, Bangladesh’s first satellite earth station, was inaugurated by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on June 14, 1975.

Shipon Halder, the Betbunia Secondary Ground Station’s project manager, said: “We are ready now.”

Spectra Engineering Limited Co-ordinator Mizanur Rahman said: “There’s no difference between the station located in Gazipur and the one here. Both have the same design.

“An oval-shaped building will be used as the main building containing satellite operation, control centre and network operation centre.”

Raihanul Kabir, a junior consultant of the Bangabandhu satellite launching project, said two 10-ton antennas were set up outside the main building in July last year. There is also a dormitory for officials and engineers that can house 30 people.

A 33KV power sub-station has been set up nearby to ensure uninterrupted power supply. Flawless fibre optics connection is being ensured under the BTCL’s supervision for smooth internet.

A 30-member team has been trained to run the station, Raihanul added.

The station’s work will start about a week after the launch of Bangabandhu-1.

Bangladesh entered the space age with the launch of its first satellite. The project had a budget of Tk2,967 crore but it cost Tk2,765 crore. The government provided Tk1,315 crore and the HSBC Bank provided the rest as loan.