This was one of the decisions taken during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Bangladesh in March this year

To honor Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and mark the 50th Anniversary of the Bangladesh Liberation War and India-Bangladesh diplomatic relations, the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) will be establishing a 'Bangabandhu Chair' at the University of Delhi.

Director General ICCR Dinesh K. Patnaik and Acting Vice Chancellor University of Delhi Prof. P C Joshi will sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Monday for setting up of the Chair.

The MoU will be for a duration of five academic years, said a statement by ICCR.

This initiative is the outcome of one of the understandings reached during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's State Visit to Bangladesh in March this year.

The Bangabandhu Chair will focus on better understanding of developments in Bangladesh, one of India's most important neighbors, positioned at the strategic intersection of the 'Neighborhood First' and 'Act East' policies.

This step will reinforce exchanges in the field of academics, art and culture between the two countries, the statement noted.

As Bangladesh records consistent economic growth and has rapidly raised its socio-economic standards, there could not be a more appropriate time for Indian academia and contributors to policy making to pay more attention to Bangladesh Studies in an institutional manner. This Chair is an important step in this direction.

The Chair will be occupied by a foreign Visiting Professor or subject expert on Bangladesh preferably a person of Bangladeshi origin.

The Chair will focus on the India-Bangladesh common cultural heritage and subjects like Anthropology, Buddhist Studies, Geography, History, Modern Indian Languages (including Bangla), Music and Fine Arts, Political Science, International Relations and Sociology.

It will teach as per the academic requirements of the University and will also help in guiding and mentoring of research students.

It will also take part in other activities of the University relating to seminars, conferences, faculty interaction etc. and public lectures.

ICCR has setup various Chairs on Indian studies abroad and this is the first of its kind initiative of setting-up of a Chair on Bangladesh in India and is an important step towards strengthening India-Bangladesh ties.

The high priority that ICCR has always attached to enhancing cultural and educational connectivity is an extension of India's outreach to the world.

ICCR is particularly proud to have Delhi University as its partner in this pioneering exercise, in recognition of the University's long- standing reputation for excellence.