Published: 12:30 AM, 09 June 2026
Defence Adviser seeks SPARRSO's role in national advancement
The Prime Minister's Defence Adviser Brigadier General (Retd) Dr. A K M Shamsul Islam visited the Bangladesh Space Research and Remote Sensing Organization (SPARRSO) under the Ministry of Defense, located in the capital's Agargaon on Monday (8 June 2026). Upon his arrival at SPARRSO, the Defense Adviser was welcomed by the Secretary of the Ministry of Defense Md. Ashraf Uddin and Chairman of SPARRSO, Additional Secretary Md. Rashidul Islam. Senior officials from the Ministry
of Defense and SPARRSO were present at the time. During the visit, the Defense Adviser toured various departments of SPARRSO. The respective departments briefed the Defense Adviser on their innovative and research activities. Officials and staff members of the concerned departments were present during this time. During his visit, the Defense Advisor stated that the relationship between modern technology, defense, space, and remote sensing is profoundly intertwined. He instructed SPARRSO authorities to emphasize how space research and remote sensing
technology can be utilized more effectively for the country's defense and national security. He also directed to take the necessary steps for launching Bangladesh's own indigenously-built satellite into space. Furthermore, he emphasized increasing SPARRSO's role in border surveillance, strategic mapping, and geospatial intelligence. The Defense Adviser mentioned that the satellite data and research findings gathered by SPARRSO should be utilized more rapidly and easily in various operational and research works of Bangladesh Army, Bangladesh Navy and Air Force. He stressed the development of the organization's technical capacity and human resources by incorporating the latest technologies of satellite image processing, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and remote sensing into SPARRSO.
Since Bangladesh is a country prone to natural disasters, Dr. AKM Shamsul Islam instructed SPARRSO officials to utilize remote sensing technology more accurately to get early warnings and assess damages of disasters like cyclones, floods, or droughts. To ensure the country's food security, the Defence Adviser urged the provision of accurate data to the government by monitoring crop conditions, soil moisture, forest areas, and water resources via satellite. He also directed SPARRSO to provide its data to various relevant ministries. At the end of the visit, a presentation on the overall activities of SPARRSO was delivered. The Defense Adviser called upon SPARRSO to work with the determination to transform SPARRSO into a modern, up-to-date and self-reliant space research institution capable of directly working for national security and advancement.
