Mother Language Day
Muhammad Ali Bukhari, A Bangladeshi-Canadian Journalist
I take this opportunity to share the good news about our Language Martyrs' Day--21 February, which was declared as the International Mother Language Day by UNESCO and has received its first ever government level recognition in Canada this year. Both the Mayor of Toronto and the Premier of Ontario have taken steps to celebrate the day in Canada. To observe the day, Mayor David Miller has issued a proclamation, in which he encouraged the residents of Toronto to join this Language Day celebrations, where people from over 200 countries who speak more than 170 languages and dialects will take part. Similarly, Premier Dalton McGuinty's office would initiate a Statement in the Provincial Legislative Assembly at Queen's Park, Toronto on February 21, 2006. In that statement, the Citizenship and Immigration Ministry would focus on the Language Movement Day of Bangladesh and its implications in shaping the International Mother Language Day, as confirmed by Director Strategic Operations, Stephen Chiang and Associate Press Secretary, Priya Suagh. At this hour, I also appreciate the support and encouragement of the weekly Bangla Reporter as well as both Bangladesh Association and Bangladesh Society (SC) of Toronto to this effort.
|
|
