Canada's new immigration point system, set to come into effect May 4, 2013, drew criticism from some New Democrats during a language and culture celebration in Toronto. At a Wednesday (Feb. 20) celebration of International Mother Language Day, hosted by NDP MP Matthew Kellway (Beaches-East York), some NDP politicians expressed concern over planned changes to federal immigration policy.

Remembrance meant something very different to new Canadian Mazibur Rahman. On March 25, 1971, Rahman recalled the Pakistan army launched an attack on the Bengalis in Dhaka. “(They) killed hundreds of natives, raped the women and set fire to the villages. We passed many sleepless nights, starved for days together,” Mazibur said. “The army would raid village after village in search of Mukti Bahini (freedom fighters).”

Mother Language Day, promoted in Canada as a celebration of our cultural diversity, is slated to have a monument designed in its honour for 2013. The motion to erect the monument in Confederation Park was approved by members of Scarborough’s community council last month and efforts to raise money for the structure are currently underway.

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