'Bangabandhu Chair' to nurture cultural commonalities between India & Bangladesh

New Delhi: Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) and University Of Delhi have created a new epoch in the history of shared cultural collaboration by establishing 'Bangabandhu Chair'. This is the outcome of one of the understandings reached during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's State Visit to Bangladesh in March 2021. Bangabandhu Chair will focus on better understanding of developments in Bangladesh, one of India's most important neighbors, positioned at the strategic intersection of our 'Neighborhood First' and 'Act East' policies. This step will reinforce exchanges in the field of academics, art and culture between the two countries.

"We will be doing a lot but we wanted to start with an important country and what more could be important than Bangladesh particularly this year when we are celebrating 50th anniversary of the Independence of Bangladesh, 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations and the 100th birth anniversary of Bangabandhu, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman," said Dinesh K. Patnaik, Director General, ICCR.

"I am sure that this very important innovation catalyzes further sharing of knowledge and understanding, future growth of ties among institutions and more common face of work, I hope that we find the distinguished occupant for the chair at the earliest," stated Harsh Vardhan Shringla, Foreign Secretary, MEA in his speech.

"It is a historical moment to host this first-ever Bangabandhu chair, who was an ideal hero for all of us and was a symbol of liberty, democracy, and freedom," said, Prof PC Joshi, Acting VC, University of Delhi.