India should strengthen its relations with Bangladesh in particular and South Asia in general, in the field of space technology and research, writes ASHOK DIXIT

The entry of India’s Mars’ Orbiter into the Martian orbit, successfully carried out by the praiseworthy scientists of the Indian Space Research Organisation in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will boost space research in the entire region. The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation will especially benefit, as the Mr Modi has himself advocated on these lines.

India and Bangladesh can take their relationship to a more strategic level by increasing their bilateral cooperation in two high technology areas of nuclear field and space. New Delhi is willing to share its experiences with Dhaka.

As a part of Mr Modi’s outreach to neighbours, he wants the benefits of India’s significant expertise in science and technology and space to benefit other developing nations. It may be recalled that during a recent visit to the Isro, Mr Modi wanted the benefits of India’s space programme to reach member-nations of the Saarc and urged Isro to develop a satellite that can serve all South Asian nations.

Bangladesh is expected to launch its first satellite by 2017, opening a new era in communication, broadcasting and creating new business. So far, Bangladesh and Nepal have relied on foreign satellites, such as those provided by India, to access the extensive benefits that space technology offers. India, China, Japan, Iran and North Korea have successfully launched independent satellites; and Bangladesh is apparently keen to join this group.

At the recently held third round of the India-Bangladesh Foreign Ministers’ Joint Consultative Commission meeting in New Delhi on September 20, Foreign Ministers Sushma Swaraj and Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali noted with satisfaction that bilateral ties have become “truly multi-faceted”, and acknowledged that high-level visits can infuse dynamism and momentum in bilateral ties.

Referring to Bangladesh’s interest in these areas, Ministry of External Affairs Joint Secretary (Bangladesh and Myanmar) Sripriya Ranganathan said, “We have had very preliminary discussions at technical level with Bangladesh. We have put the offer on the table that whatever returns they feel that they can gain by collaborating with us, whatever be the form, we have given them more or less a carte blanche to tell us what they would like to do. So, we are awaiting their response to it.”

A meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council has given the go-ahead to the project that covers the manufacture and launch of the satellite and two ground stations. Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission in 2012 signed a 82.5 crore-taka consultancy deal with a US firm, Space Partnership International, to design the satellite, named ‘Bangabandhu’, after its Father of the Nation Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

The satellite is expected to reduce reliance on foreign satellites for cable channels and improve telecom services to remote areas of the country. Moreover, meteorological data, including disaster warnings, will be easily available via satellite. It might also be used for mapping natural resources but leakage of some classified reports has come as hiccups, which has come to the knowledge of the MEA, pointing to the modus operandi of contracting the firm for significant space research programme.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s son Sajeeb Wazed is monitoring the project even though he does not hold any office in the Government. This has been questioned because, according to certain communication between him and BTRC, he expressed keenness to short-list the consultancy firms before being finalised. Mr Wazed himself owns a consultancy firm in the US.

It is important for any country to build space capabilities but it’s equally important to ensure that there is transparency in the procedures, and checks and balances are in place. India must take note of the parameters involving in fairness of sharing or giving technical assistance to any Saarc nations, when Mr Modi is at the helm of affairs.