DHAKA (AFP) – Bangladesh said yesterday it had asked tech billionaire Elon Musk to bring satellite internet service Starlink to the South Asian country, as its fragile interim government seeks United States (US) diplomatic support.
Musk has a highly visible White House role as President Donald Trump’s right-hand man, where his meetings with foreign leaders have raised questions over the blurring of his official roles and business interests.
The world’s richest man spoke on Thursday with Nobel peace laureate Muhammad Yunus, who is leading a caretaker administration in Bangladesh following a student-led revolution last year.
They discussed during a lengthy video call bringing Starlink, which provides internet access to remote locations by low Earth orbit satellites, to Bangladesh.
The pair emphasised that the service would create new opportunities for “Bangladesh’s enterprising youth, rural and vulnerable women, and remote communities”, a statement from Yunus’ media office said.
The statement added that Musk had said he was “looking forward” to visiting Bangladesh after Yunus extended him an invitation.
Musk has yet to discuss the meeting publicly, including on X, the social media platform he owns and on which he chronicles his day-to-day thoughts.
