SpaceX Vice President Lauren Dreyer has praised the concerted efforts of government officials in successfully launching Starlink in Bangladesh.
She made the remarks during a meeting with Principal Advisor Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus at the State Guest House Jamuna on Friday (July 18, 2025).
Lauren Dreyer said, “We work in 150 countries and regions. We have never seen such efficiency and rapid decision-making before. On behalf of all my colleagues at SpaceX, thank you. We look forward to working closely with your people.”
The Principal Advisor thanked Vice President Lauren Dreyer for her visit to Bangladesh and said, “It is the rainy season, a beautiful time in the country. Beautiful environment. Greenery and water everywhere. But there is also the reality of flooding and waterlogging. That is why we need reliable technology for good connectivity.’
He further said, ‘We especially need improved connectivity in the remote areas of the hilly region. There are no good school teachers and doctors in these areas. We have set a target of introducing online education in 100 schools, which will benefit students in isolated areas.’
Emphasizing on inclusive healthcare, the Chief Advisor said, ‘We are prioritizing digital healthcare so that people in remote areas can seek advice from doctors online. Their medical history will be digitally preserved, which will make it easier to give advice in the future.’
He said, ‘It plays a very effective role during the pregnancy period. Women need another companion to go to the doctor during this time. With digital health services, they will be able to see a doctor from home.’
Professor Yunus mentioned that expatriate Bangladeshis will also benefit from digital health services. He said, ‘Expatriates often feel uncomfortable going to the doctor because of the language. They think about what to say. However, once the digital health service is available, they will be able to talk to a Bangladeshi doctor from abroad for advice on health-related issues.’
The chief advisor told Lauren Dreyer, ‘The small initiatives we are taking here, you can take them to a global scale.’
Lauren Dreyer praised Professor Yunus’ idea. She said, ‘We can talk to other leaders about the example you are setting. We will say – if Professor Yunus can do this in his country, then you can also do it in your country.’
She praised Professor Yunus’ efforts against corruption.
The vice president of SpaceX said, ‘The initiative you have taken to reach the people of the country is very commendable. I travel to different countries often, so I know how corruption can be a serious problem. Decentralizing services and ensuring good governance through technology is a meaningful vision.’
SpaceX Global Engagement Consultant Richard Griffiths, Bangladesh National Security Advisor Dr. Khalilur Rahman, Special Assistant to the Principal Advisor on Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology Faiz Ahmed Tayyab, and BIDA and BEZA Executive Chairman Chowdhury Ashiq Mahmud Bin Harun were present at the meeting.
Source: BSS.
