Starlink seeks approval to use Bangladesh as transit hub
PARBATTANEWS DESK
Starlink has applied to use Bangladesh as an international transit hub after installing local gateways, Kalbela Online reported on Sunday.
The satellite internet company, owned by Elon Musk, launched in Bangladesh in May. Although gateways were mandatory, it began operations without one, according to the report.
On 13 August, Starlink wrote to Brigadier General Shafiul Azam Parvez, Director General of the Engineering and Operation Division at the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC), requesting approval. The letter sought permission to transport data for foreign users through Bangladesh’s gateways.
Starlink said it planned to link its Points of Presence (PoPs) in Bangladesh with PoPs in Singapore and Oman. It would buy International Private Leased Circuits (IPLCs) and unfiltered IPs from local providers including Fiber@Home, Bangladesh Submarine Cable Company Limited (BSCCL) and Summit, Kalbela reported.
The company said unfiltered IPs would only be used for foreign customers, not for Bangladeshi users. Domestic traffic would continue through International Internet Gateways (IIGs), which apply filtering and security requirements.
Starlink claimed its proposal had been discussed and agreed at a roundtable on 29 April, before its NGSO licence was issued, and again at a 24 June meeting with BTRC officials and the Chief Adviser’s office.
BTRC sources denied this, saying no assurance was given before licensing. They said the matter was discussed but not approved, and decisions would follow existing IPLC guidelines, Kalbela reported.
Industry reactions were mixed. Some said Bangladesh could benefit economically as a corridor, while others warned of national security risks if traffic bypassed local monitoring. BTRC officials said current rules allow IPLCs for signalling, not traffic, and raised concerns about lawful interception.
Fiber@Home CTO Suman Ahmed Sabbir told Kalbela that unfiltered IPs would be used only for international traffic. He said local firms would benefit as Starlink would purchase IPs from them.
Rashed Amin Bidyut, COO of NTTN operator Bahon, said some companies may gain but warned that unfiltered IPs could allow traffic to bypass cyber security oversight. He suggested BTRC establish a technical monitoring cell if approval is granted.
BTRC’s Brigadier General Parvez said the application was under review. “We are checking whether there are restrictions in the guidelines, what the company is asking, and the technical issues involved,” Kalbela quoted him as saying.
Starlink has installed four gateways in Gazipur, Rajshahi and Jashore, but BTRC has not confirmed whether they are operational. The company earlier received a three-month waiver to operate without gateways despite licence conditions requiring one.
Kalbela reported that BTRC inspections in August could not confirm gateway functionality as no Starlink representatives were present. Local stakeholders said the company had already begun exchanging traffic, though it was unclear whether this was routed through Bangladesh or abroad.
