Call For Graft Probe as Bangladesh Starts Satellite Internet Service

Starlink – the global internet service beamed from Elon Musk’s SpaceX satellites – has been launched in Bangladesh.

The launch on Tuesday stems from a desire to ensure the South Asian nation receives reliable, uninterrupted access to the internet.

But it comes at a time when Democrat senators in the US have called for a Federal inquiry into whether the Trump Administration is helping Musk, his wealthy benefactor and political ally, gain Starlink trade deals.

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A group of prominent Democrat Senators in the US called last week for a federal investigation into whether the Trump Administration is using trade negotiations with foreign governments to benefit Musk and his Starlink business.

‘Starlink pushed for tariff relief’

The senators wrote a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi and other senior officials after reports by The Washington Post suggested that US embassies and the State Department “have pushed nations to clear hurdles for US satellite companies, often mentioning Starlink by name.”

“Suggesting that a foreign government adopt Starlink in exchange for relief on tariffs appears to be a textbook case of corruption,” said the letter, signed by Senate banking committee member Elizabeth Warren, Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chair Mark Warner and Senate Foreign Relations Committee member Jeanne Shaheen.

The Times of India noted allegations in the letter on Tuesday saying: “Starlink reportedly secured approval to operate in Lesotho shortly after the US imposed harsh tariffs on the small African nation.

“Similar patterns have emerged in other countries, including Vietnam, Bangladesh, and India, where Starlink’s market access coincided with sensitive US trade talks,” it said.

‘Meeting with Musk’

Leaked State Department documents reportedly noted that US diplomats lobbied foreign governments to approve Starlink as part of ongoing trade negotiations. This raised questions on whether American diplomats were told to prioritise the commercial interests of Musk’s company over broader US policy goals, the letter said.

“One of the most concerning examples involves Bangladesh, where a senior government official reportedly met with Musk at the White House. According to sources cited by The Washington Post, Musk allegedly hinted that Bangladesh might not receive favourable trade terms unless it allowed Starlink to operate within its borders,” the Times of India report said.

The senators also noted that Trump and Musk were both in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday last week – the same day Musk announced Starlink has been approved in Saudi Arabia.

“Reports indicate that Mr Musk may be using his official role and his proximity to the President as leverage for his own personal financial benefit — even if it comes at the expense of American consumers and the nation’s foreign policy interests,” the senators said in their letter.

“These actions raise questions about whether Mr Musk or other administration officials may be violating ethics or other laws.”

Dhaka keen for quality internet service

Muhammad Yunus leads the interim government in Dhaka (Reuters).

Muhammad Yunus, the Nobel Peace laureate who has led an interim government in Dhaka since Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled Bangladesh following weeks of violent protest last year, has said the satellite internet deal provided a service that could not be disrupted by any future political upheaval.

“Starlink’s high-speed, low-latency internet is now available in Bangladesh,” the company posted on X.

Monthly packages start at 4,200 taka ($35) for the service now available nationwide, Yunus aide Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb said, with a one-time payment of 47,000 taka required for setup equipment.

“This has created a sustainable alternative for premium customers to get high-quality and high-speed internet services,” he added in a Facebook post.

Nobel peace laureate Yunus took the helm of the interim government last August after Hasina fled to neighbouring India.

Authorities had suspended internet and text messaging services as protests spread nationwide last July.

Starlink has expanded rapidly worldwide to operate in more than 70 countries, with a strong focus on further growth in emerging markets such as India.