Indian Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla today said establishment of “Bangabandhu Chair” at the Delhi University (DU) is a “fitting tribute to great leader Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, his life and work”.
“Whether one calls him Bangabandhu or the father of the nation, there is no doubt that one is referring to a very major historical figure who literally shaped the destiny of nations,” he said making a statement at an agreement signing ceremony for establishing “Bangabandhu Chair” at the university.
He said, “Bangabandhu is revered in India. His struggles, his accomplishments and his values continue to inspire…Sheikh Mujib was all the more remarkable for being a strong voice against radicalism and extremism of any kind.”
Shringla, the former high commissioner of India to Bangladesh and India’s incumbent foreign secretary, said Bangabandhu, who led a great battle for freedom and created a nation, laid the foundations for his country’s growth and development.
“Bangladesh is today one of the major engines of growth in the region with impressive economic expansion rates and rapidly improving socio-economic indicators. There are many areas in which we have learnt from Bangladesh and will continue to do so,” he added.
Referring to Indo-Bangladesh ties, he said India and Bangladesh continue to attach a very special importance to their bilateral relations. “By any indicator, the bonds between our two nations are marked by a rare degree of closeness, substance and understanding”, he added.
Shringla said “two of the major pillars of Indian diplomacy, its Neighborhood First and Act East policies, find common ground in our work with Bangladesh.”
Later, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for setting up the “Bangabandhu Chair”, first of its kind in India, in honour of Father of Bengali Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was signed between ICCR and the Delhi University.
Director General of ICCR Dinesh K. Patnaik and Vice-Chancellor of Delhi University Prof. P C Joshi signed the agreement on behalf of their respective sides at a ceremony at ICCR auditorium in Azad Bhaban here this afternoon.
ICCR President Vanay Sahasrabuddhe and High Commissioner of Bangladesh mission in New Delhi Muhammad Imran witnessed the signing ceremony, attended by senior officials from Bangladesh mission and Indian Ministry of External Affairs.
Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Vikram Doraiswami joined the agreement signing ceremony virtually from Dhaka.
Speaking on the occasion, the ICCR President said establishment of “Bangabandhu Chair” would provide more impetus to the process of targeted research on some particular subjects.
Describing Bangabandhu as the greatest leader in South Asia in last century, he said that he was happy to establish the chair after the name of Bangabandhu as a bond of India-Bangladesh friendship.
Bangladesh High Commissioner to India Muhammad Imran hoped that establishment of the Chair will immensely contribute to broaden scopes for intellectual and academic exchanges and intensify people to people contact.
He hoped that setting up of the chair would bridge the gap of information about today’s Bangladesh and her people-the unique history, determination and struggle for emancipation and independence, the recent economic achievements, the emerging soft power, the secular ideology and the overall future of the country.
He thanked the Indian government, ICCR and the Delhi University for being the part of the great initiative.
The Delhi Vice Chancellor, Prof. P C Joshi said that the university is happy to be host of the chair after the name of Bangabandhu, the great leader, who fought for the cause of liberating his country. “Bangabandhu was a real hero for of all us…he fought for his country, he fought for the emancipation of his countrymen”, he added.
“We are very proud for getting chance for hosting the chair, first of its kind in India, after the name of the great leader,” he said.
The development for setting up the chair coincides with the 50th Anniversary of the Bangladesh Liberation War, birth centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Indo-Bangladesh Diplomatic relations.
The key focus of establishment of the chair will be on the shared cultural heritage of India and Bangladesh with subjects like Anthropology, Buddhist Studies, Geography, History, Music, Fine Arts and Political Science.
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