Bangla Academy Australia    

International Mother Language Institute

International Mother Language Day was proclaimed by the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in November 1999 (30C/62). 

On 16 May 2007 the United Nations General Assembly in its resolution A/RES/61/266 called upon Member States “to promote the preservation and protection of all languages used by peoples of the world”. By the same resolution, the General Assembly proclaimed 2008 as the International Year of Languages, to promote unity in diversity and international understanding, through multilingualism and multiculturalism.

International Mother Language Day has been observed every year since February 2000 to promote linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism. The date represents the day in 1952 when students demonstrating for recognition of their language, Bangla, as one of the two national languages of the then Pakistan, were shot and killed by police in Dhaka, the capital of what is now Bangladesh.

Languages are the most powerful instruments of preserving and developing our tangible and intangible heritage. All moves to promote the dissemination of mother tongues will serve not only to encourage linguistic diversity and multilingual education but also to develop fuller awareness of linguistic and cultural traditions throughout the world and to inspire solidarity based on understanding, tolerance and dialogue.

2015 is the 15th anniversary of International Mother Language Day.

International Mother Language Institute | Australia

• Included: IMLD Commemoration report for February 2015 (Feb 22, 2015)
• Flyer/Poster: IMLD Commemoration of at the NSW Parliament House (Feb 20-22, 2015).

Objective: Developing a National advisory council for iMLi

EXPRESSION OF INTEREST

Dear language representative/Community Language School in Australia,

Bangla Academy started a journey to respect and commemorate International Mother Language day with more engagement from the wider language community. We have developed this new institute with individuals to start a journey from different community language group. Bangla Academy International will be engaged for similar global program.

About My Language My Freedom please see the report for February 2015. As per following terms and condition you may join with iMLi from this link

You may interested to involve/obtaining a position with iMLi if you are genuinely impressed/interested from the objective of iMLi.

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Sydney, February 22, 2015

Report on IMLD MLMF February 20, 21 & 22, 2015

Distinguished guests and speakers at the Parliament House seminar ‘My Language My Freedom’ February 20, 2015

The Bangla Academy Australia hosted a seminar for ‘My Language My Freedom’ on February 20.  The seminar was the first event in three days commemoration based on UNESCO’s International Mother Language Day.

This year the event was held at the Theatrette at the NSW Parliament House. The seminar featured presentations from a diverse range of speakers, Hon. Victor Dominello MP Minister for Citizenship & Communities and Minister for Aboriginal Affairs was the chief guest. Special guests were present including Hon. Shaoquett Moselmane, MLC, Mr. Anthony Khouri, Honorary Consul-General of Bangladesh, Mr. Lou Petrolo, Strategy & Community Engagement Manager SBS Australia, Mr. Trent Wilson, Head Teacher Languages, Hornsby Girls High School, Mr. Albert Vella, President, Federation of NSW Community Language School Program, Mr. Béla Kardos, President Hungarian Council of NSW, Catharin C Kori, Director Hungarian Language School, Dr Akhteruz Zaman, Academic, University of Technology, Mr. Phil Voysey, Director Cultural Connexions, Student representative Mr. ASM Shahriar Ifti from Sydney Secondary College, Mrs. Yasmeen Islam Social activist and Mr. Anwar Akash, Director, Bangla Academy Australia.

Speakers emphasised the importance of supporting and maintaining the rich diversity of languages in Australia. A number of speakers stressed the crucial part language plays in shaping individual and community identity and enhancing the cultural diversity of Australian society. Speakers also called for more resources to be allocated to the teaching of languages in schools and universities.

Language Covered:

Aboriginal, African, Albanian, Amharic, Arabic, Armenian, Assyrian, Bangla, Bosnian, Bulgarian, Burmese, Cantonese, Chinese, Cook Islands/Maori, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dari, Dinka, Dutch, English, Estonian, Fijian, Filipino, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Gujarati, Hebrew, Hindi, Hmong, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Kannada, Khmer, Korean, Kurdish, Lao, Latvian, Lithuanian, Macedonian, Malay, Malayalam, Maltese, Mandarin, Maori, Nepali, Norwegian, Pashto, Persian-farsi, Polish, Portuguese, Punjabi, Romanian, Russian, Samoan, Serbian, Sinhalese, Slovak, Slovenian, Somali, Spanish, Swahili, Swedish, Tamil, Thai, Tigrinya, Tongan, Turkish, Ukrainian, Urdu, Vietnamese, Yiddish.

The seminar’s opening announcement done by Sonia Yeasmin. Sayeda Hyder then presented information on the Language Movement related facts and figures in Bangladesh in 1952.

The Director of the Bangla Academy, Anwar Akash, welcomed guests and gave an overview of the work of the Bangla Academy in the past nine years. Phil Voysey presented a paper written by Mr. Anwar Akash on the history, objectives and values of Academy’s IMLD program ‘My Language My Freedom’.

Special mention must be made of Anwar Akash’s efforts in pulling the seminar together in a little over a week and a half. Although the number of attendees was small, it is expected that with funding and a longer lead time to plan and promote the event next year, that it will grow to become a significant annual event on Sydney’s multicultural calendar.

Bangla Academy also run a workshop on mother language on 21^st February and 22^nd February organised a language festival, book fair and cultural market at the Punchbowl Boys High School.

For future participation or for any query please contact

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Report prepared by: Phil Voysey

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