Aminul Islam Awarded ‘Medal of Good Citizenship’ of British Columbia as a first Bangladeshi

Aminul Islam has made history by becoming the first person of Bangladesh origin has been nominated for the prestigious ‘Medal of Good Citizenship’ award by the British Columbia government. This award is presented annually by the Government of British Columbia for special contributions to their respective communities. This year 21 people have been nominated for this award. This medal will be handed over to them on January 25.

In a notice the government of British Columbia said, Aminul Islam’s groundbreaking initiative, the “B.C. Model,” is a revolutionary approach aimed at incorporating mother languages into school systems. Recognizing children as carriers of their mother tongue, he successfully implemented this model in the Surrey School District, providing approximately 70,000 students with the opportunity to embrace and share their cultural heritage through 172 different languages. The ripple effect of the B.C. Model has reached school districts beyond Surrey, aligning with UNESCO’s Education 2030 Framework.

As a tribute to the diversity of mother languages, Aminul Islam’s initiated “Lingua Aqua,” Canada’s first Mother Language Monument, Unveiled in 2009. To raise awareness about various mother tongues, Aminul Islam initiated the “Mother Language Festival,” Canada’s largest celebration of its kind, annually commemorated since 2013.

Aminul Islam played a pivotal role in the recognition of International Mother Language Day in Canada. His efforts, spanning several years and collaborations with MPs and senators, culminated in the passing of Bill S214 on March 30, 2023. This landmark bill officially received Royal Assent on April 24, 2023, making Canada the first country globally to recognize February 21 as International Mother Language Day.

Expressing the feeling of this honorable achievement, Aminul Islam said, “I think giving an award to someone means recognizing that person’s performance through proper evaluation. On the one hand, the award brings out the efficiency of the people, encourages their work, on the other hand, I think that recognizing or marking the success of a work through an award must act as a milestone or regulator for the next step of progress.’

Aminul Islam is the President of Mother Language Lovers of the World Society (MLLWS), Canada. MLLWS has been playing an important role in the practice of mother tongue Bengali abroad. The organization was awarded the Ekushe Padak in 2001 for playing an important role in the process of declaring February 21 as International Mother Language Day. For maintaining this consistency, the organization won the International Mother Language Medal-2023.

Aminul Islam was born in Baniaganti village of Sirajganj district. His father’s name is Jonab Ali. He has been staying in Canada since 1987. However, despite staying abroad, he has deep love for his motherland. He is working on the practice and spread of the mother tongue abroad. Whenever he got a chance, he rushed to his native land.