Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to recognize International Mother Language Day, an annual observance led by the Bangladeshi diaspora in Canada and across the world, which is held on February 21. The day's goal is to promote respect for linguistic and cultural diversity, and it exists because of the fight for the respect of the Bengali language when Bangladesh formed one country with Pakistan.
International Mother Language Day has been recognized by UNESCO and has been enshrined by two United Nations General Assembly resolutions. No day is more important to persons of Bangladeshi origin or heritage, and I fully support its intended goal of promoting the preservation and protection of all languages.
Allow me to congratulate Montreal city councillor Marvin Rotrand and Souhel Miah, Toufiq Ezaz Akter and Dipak Dhar, whose organizations are active in my riding and champion this day. I invite all my colleagues to join me in celebrating alongside Bangladeshi Canadians across our country.