The Bangladesh government has granted final approval to Elon Musk-owned satellite internet provider Starlink to establish a ground station and an international internet transit hub in the country, marking a major step in the development of Bangladesh’s information technology and telecommunications sector.

Following approval from the Posts and Telecommunications Division, the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) cleared the proposal, allowing Starlink to build international connectivity infrastructure in Bangladesh.

Under the approval, Starlink will be permitted to use Bangladesh’s telecommunications infrastructure to supply international internet bandwidth to neighboring countries. This is the first time a satellite internet service provider has been authorized to route international internet traffic from Bangladesh.

As part of a three-year agreement, state-owned Bangladesh Submarine Cables PLC (BSCCL) will serve as Starlink’s primary bandwidth provider. If additional capacity is required, the company will also be allowed to procure bandwidth from private operators Summit Communications and Fiber@Home.

Internet bandwidth exported to international customers will not be subject to Bangladesh’s government firewall or content-filtering systems, enabling unfiltered internet access for overseas users.

However, domestic internet services will continue to operate under existing laws, security measures, and regulatory oversight.

Following an extensive technical review, the BTRC has required Starlink to maintain complete separation between international and domestic internet networks. The export network will not be accessible to Bangladeshi citizens or foreign visitors within the country, while all internet traffic and user data for domestic customers will remain subject to Bangladesh’s existing regulatory framework.

Starlink has already submitted the required technical documentation and monitoring systems to the BTRC in compliance with the government’s conditions.