Satellite as a Tool for Learning

Very impressive, exciting, encouraging and visionary message was published recently in an English daily - Bangladesh plans to launch its own communications satellite in a short time, said the Post and Telecommunications Minister Raziuddin Ahmed Raju. An article published few days ago entitled "Space research for young Bangladeshis" might have drawn attraction of the respected Minister. The author has tried to show the real picture of modern technology related higher education in the country. A huge number of students with unique results at SSC and HSC examinations from science backgrounds are coming to the capital city with the expectation to become a scientist of the present world. Through interrogation with them, very interesting, exciting and encouraging information come out. A certain percentage of boys and girls alike want to become astronauts. The ambitious students know the sufferings and barriers faced by the woman astronaut Ms. Julie Paette who flew 4 million miles on Space Shuttle Discovery from May 27 to June 6, 1999 as a Crew member of STS-96. In spite of that, they are adamant and eagerly waiting for scopes to become Astronauts of spacecrafts that will carry flag of Bangladesh to different planets. It becomes difficult to check tears after listening to their ambitious words said the author. The boys and girls are indeed ambitious. Four decades back, that was almost impossible to conceive of. With the exciting message of planning to launch communications satellite, the dreams of the ambitious girls and boys of Bangladesh are going to materialize. For his unique and timely plans, the concerned minister deserves thanks. He must be praised if he can implement his ideas in a short span of time as desired by the new generation.

Bangladesh is far behind from neighbor countries in respect of modern technology development, particularly in communications and space science. The country is obviously poor in that respects. Space and astronaut are the two almost unknown words, though SPARRSO have some activities that are unknown to common people of the country. We are depriving our new generations from entering into the world of space. They have the right to explore the space and planets. They want to fly as the proud astronauts of Bangladesh and discover the living beings in the Moon. It might sound abnormal to most people in the country but to introduce ourselves as the citizens of the present world, we will have to take the initiatives of empowering new generations on those disciplines. Due to our ignorance, we should not deprive our kids. Let them get the opportunity to grow up with new vision and ideas and equip them with proper tools and technology. The above mentioned words were written by the author in his article in the middle of October 2009. The minister has clearly mentioned how the country can benefit through using a national Satellite that would serve commercial purposes including improving telecom services, helping to meet the booming demand for it. Telecom operators could subscribe to satellite services on a commercial basis, the minister added. Television broadcasting and meteorological data including disaster warnings would be available easily by the satellite. It might also be used for mapping natural resources, and to predict weather to help farmers.

In addition to that, the university students of the faculty of science and technology would benefit a lot from a national Satellite. The Satellite Communications are taught in the departments like Electronics and Telecommunications (ETE), EEE, CSE etc. The students of the concerned departments will be able to use the national Satellite as their own tool for technology learning.

The message of the respected minister is going to prove that things are not difficult and not even impossible. It is just a timely initiative of connecting the concerned people and that is the main concept of the United Nations University (UNU) under UNESCO for which they have given responsibilities to their Science Connect Country Ambassador in the respective countries. The author, the country Ambassador has done nothing but written an article to wake up the nation. The science connect Ambassadors attend training programmes almost every month to upgrade the activities of identifying the problems and their solutions in the concerned countries. Some problems are common to most developing countries. As such the solutions become easy for a developing country like Bangladesh. There are huge natural resources as well as skilled and skilled human resources who can bring a tremendous change in technology and economy for the country. They need simply to connect under the Science Connect Ambassador process and the rest will be very simple