On March 25, the Chief Advisor of Bangladesh’s interim government Mohammad Yunus announced that a commercial deal with Elon Musk’s SpaceX-owned satellite internet network Starlink is expected to be reached within 90 days to provide internet services to Bangladesh.
According to Shafiqul Alam, Yunus’ press secretary, economic reasons underlie the decision to seal the deal. The creation of jobs and providing uninterrupted support to the global digital outsourcing industry, which provides livelihoods to many Bangladeshi freelancers, is a priority of the interim government.
“Last year, during the student-led people’s uprising, the then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina imposed an internet blackout for 11 days in Bangladesh., and thousands of Bangladeshi freelancers were hurt as they could not work,” Shafiqul told The Diplomat.
The interim government “does not want a repeat of that type of situation,” he said.
“We will make sure that through Starlink a freelancer even from a village in Bangladesh can benefit from the uninterrupted internet.”
Mushfiqul Fazal Ansarey, Bangladesh’s ambassador to Mexico, agrees with Shafiqul on the economic motivations underlying the interim government’s proposed deal with Starlink. However, he also sees it as a smart move by Yunus from a geopolitical standpoint. “Engaging with Musk and Starlink aligns Bangladesh with the U.S. tech leadership, potentially strengthening ties with Washington,” Ansarey told The Diplomat.
Bangladesh is among a string of countries that is sealing deals with Musk’s companies to build relations with the Donald Trump presidency. Musk, who also owns X and Tesla, wields enormous influence over Trump. Signing deals with him is seen as a way to win favor with Trump.
Within days of Trump’s inauguration, governments and companies began making announcements to impress the Trump administration. India’s two biggest telecommunications providers, Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio, said they would bring Starlink’s internet services to the country. Another Trump backer, Coinbase, one of the U.S.’ largest cryptocurrency exchanges, received approval from India’s Financial Intelligence Unit to begin operations in the country. Saudi Arabia promised a $600 billion investment in the U.S.
Bangladesh’s overture to Starlink must be seen in this context.
While a deal with Starlink could put Bangladesh in a favorable light with Trump, whether it will prove beneficial in the long-run is doubtful. Shafquat Rabbee, a Bangladeshi American geopolitical analyst expressed skepticism over the “the longevity of such tactics.”
“It is too early to assess the eventual outcome,” of such deals, he said.
Personal relationships and connections between leaders play an important role in international diplomacy and politics. For example, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair’s outreach to U.S. President George Bush soon after the inauguration of the latter’s presidency established a rapport that was pivotal in shaping the West’s collective action in invading Iraq. There are many other friendships at various levels between leaders and officials of various countries that have shaped global politics and several of these connections have worked quietly and behind the scenes.
According to Shafiqul, in a recent video call to Yunus, Musk conveyed that he is aware and appreciative of Yunus’ poverty reduction programs as well as his other philanthropic and social development endeavors.
The interim government will be hoping that these words of appreciation will pave the way for a closer equation between Yunus and the tech billionaire, culminating in better Bangladesh-U.S. relations.
Yunus and Trump have not had the best of relations in the past. There is a perception harnessed by some that Yunus’ friendship with the Clintons could have complicated his relations with Trump. However, such views appear to lack substance.
Yunus is a recipient of the US’ highest civilian award—the Presidential Medal of Freedom. He also has strong friendships with many Republican senators, who stood up against his judicial harassment by Hasina. Yunus was also quick to congratulate Trump after his presidential victory.
Nevertheless, there are powerful critics of Yunus’ government within the Trump administration. In a recent interview, U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard described Bangladesh as a “major area of concern” for the U.S., citing “the long-time unfortunate persecution, killing, and abuse of religious minorities” in the country. She also spoke of the “threat of Islamic terrorists” in the country and linked Bangladesh to the idea of an Islamic Caliphate. The Yunus administration has protested Gabbard’s comment in strong terms.
Whether the Bangladeshi interim government’s proposed deal with Musk’s Starlink will open the door for Dhaka’s improved ties with Trump remains to be seen. Much will depend on how Musk’s equation with Trump pans out in the weeks and months ahead.
The Yunus administration will need to look for more routes and more stable ones to improve Bangladesh’s relations with the U.S. under Trump.
