By SM Najmus Sakib
DHAKA, Bangladesh (AA) – In a first, Bangladesh plans setting up a space observatory center as part of the birth centenary celebrations of Sheikh Mujibur Rehman, the country's founder, officials said on Sunday.
A proposal has been sent for approval to the National Economic Council, the apex body which approves government projects, Md. Abdul Momin, a joint secretary at the Ministry of Science and Technology, told Anadolu Agency.
Earlier, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina accepted the proposal in principle and directed the ministry to initiate the necessary action.
The project titled Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Space Observatory Centre will be built on a 10-acre plot in Faridpur district at an estimated cost of $25 million, according to the project proposal.
It is expected to be completed by June 2023, and will have a 5-storey circular building that will house reflector telescopes. The height of the observatory tower will be kept at 100 meters.
According to Mohammad Munir Chowdhury, the head of National Museum of Science and Technology, the spot chosen is an ideal location for the observatory, whose objective is to gear up technological progress, and create opportunities for space research in the South Asian country.
