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Lingua Aqua

In December 2006, Mohammad Aminul Islam, a Bangladeshi-Canadian of the City of Surrey appeared as a delegate to the Public Art Advisory Committee (PAAC) where he shared the information regarding the proposal to develop a Monument and that would be Canada’s first Mother Language Monument in Surrey.
Mr. Islam provided the PAAC with a research note stating that how a wide number of different languages that were spoken in Canada have become extinct. To highlight his research he listed those already extinct languages in Canada and British Columbia. He also advised that since 1952, February 21st has been observed as a date to commemorate the martyrs of the Language Movement, and also described how on November 17th, 1999 the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) adopted a resolution proclaiming February 21st as ’International Mother Language Day’. The proposal was well received by the Public Art Advisory Committee; they recommended him to take this concept forward to the City Council for further necessary actions regarding site selection criteria, his budget requirements and fundraising plans.
Mr. Islam appeared before the City Council on February 26, 2007, where he presented the proposal for a Mother Language monument and asked Surrey Council for support in principle. The Council accepted the proposal and mentioned that a site on City land be identified to house this public art installation.

The Parks, Recreation and Cultural Department short listed three potential spaces for the proposed project. Mayor Dianne Watt issued him a letter for fund collection to build the project; meanwhile the city staff met with him to discuss the site criteria. Mr. Islam preferred the Bear Creek Park for the monument. The initial fund raising goal was $200,000.00 for the project.

At this stage, Mr. Islam became a member of the Arts Council of Surrey and made them a partner for the fund raising to build the monument. The Arts Council of Surrey opened a bank account in the name of Mother Language Monument. At that time, on behalf of 'The Mother Language Lovers of the World' organization, its founder president Mr. Rafiqul Islam and the founding Director Mr.Abdus Salam donated a cheque of $200 for the first time to this account.

Part of this contribution amount was from the 'EKUSHE AWARD', prize money that the Government of Bangladesh had conferred on the organization for the work done to establish the International Mother Language Day. A part of the money was the individual donation of the above mentioned two individuals. However, the monument has been built by the city fund; this amount was never used. It remains in the account where it was sent.
In the year 2008, the City of Surrey was named winner of the 2008 Cultural Capital of Canada Award. The award, which was presented to Mayor Dianne Watts, is accompanied by up to $2 million in funding. With this funding, Surrey planned to unveil a number of artistic and cultural projects for the next year. The Mother Language Monument project was included in that plan and from there the City granted a fund of $120,000 for this project to be accomplished.
On 17 April 2008, the City of Surrey posted call for artists for Mother Language Monument Project (Culture as Catalyst: Bear Creek Park). A number of artworks were submitted in response to the Artists call. Finally “Lingua Aqua” was selected as one of six other site-specific public art legacy projects produced under Surrey’s 2008 cultural capital of Canada initiative and supported by the Department of Canadian Heritage and the City of Surrey. The dream to build a Mother Language Monument became true. The Lingua Aqua, Canada’s first Audiovisual Mother Language Public Art was officially unveiled on 19th July, 2009. The city of Surrey commissioned this artwork as a tribute to Mother Languages and in recognition of International Mother Language Day, formally established by the United Nations to be celebrated annually on February 21.
Lingua Aqua is the work of a multi-talented team of new media, visual and audio artists, Melanie Cassidy, Michael Filimowicz, Brady Marks, and Philippe Pasquier are the team members whose design concept was accepted. Built in the form of a small pavilion or shelter, Lingua Aqua combines sculptural, architectural, graphic, audio and water elements to create an immersive sonic environment. this “bath of sounds” is the place in which language is first heard and sounds from the outside environment first experienced. The structure is a self-enclosed fountain, with rain curtains and a reflective pool. A mirror on the underside of the roof reflects the pool and visitors, creating a visual texture and interaction with the structure. The sound of flowing water evokes the fluid environment in which spoken language is first heard, and the rippling pool and rain curtains modulate the sounds emitted from the structure. Glass panels overhanging the roof are engraved with symbols drawn from a number of languages spoken in Surrey. Four support columns each house audio speakers that play a variety of sounds, each transmitted through holes in the columns. These perforated designs form braille texts related to the role of language across various cultures.
Lingua Aqua is a Surrey landmark and a place where people of all languages come, reflect and immerse in the beauty of other languages.

Our group of Directors

Our Founding President

Late Mr. Rafiqul Islam

Founding President, MLLWS

Rafiqul Islam was born on July 16, 1950 at Rajbari Compoundin Comillacity, Bangladesh to Late Janab Abdul Ghani and Mrs. KarimunNessa. Hisfather wasrelated to thelaw professionand mother was a home maker. He wastheeigth child amongst theten siblings.
After studyingin thelocal primary school and secondarylevel in Comilla Zilla School hegot hisadmission in theComilla Victoria Collegein 1967. He passed hisIntermediatein Commerce (I.Com) in 1969 from thesamecollege. Duringthe1970 college year hewas elected astheliterary secretary of theStudents Union of Victoria College.
When theBangladeshliberation war brokeout in 1971 he went to DehraDun in India for trainingand there after joined theMujib Bahini asa Freedom fighter. He lost hisyounger brother Saiful IslamShafu in thewar who wasin the samecompany ashewas andwhich wascommanded bySheikh Fazlul Haque Moni.
After the war he finished hisgraduationfrom Victoria College andcompleted hisMasters(M.Com) in Marketingfrom DhakaUniversity.
After completinghisMastershe went to Germany for livelihoodand stayedthere for about 5 years. He then went to Malaysiaandtried hishandin business. Meanwhile hegot married toDilras Buli Islam on January 27,1980. Rafiqul joined an NGOnamed ‘Proshika’in Bangladeshandworked there asa development officer for eight years. After that he migrated toVancouver, Canadain late 1995 with his wife and two sons Jyoti and Joyonto.
Fromhisthen residence at 113-9071 Richmond; Greater Vancouver hewrote a letter to Mr. Kofi Anan, thethen Secretary General of theUN onJan 09,1998.
In that letter heargued and appealed that manylanguagesof thisworld havebecomeextinct, manyare on thevergeof extinction andhence it isimperative that a daybedeclared as‘International Mother LanguageDay’tocelebrate andprotect ALLthemother languagesof the world. Headditionally proposed that Feb 21st would be theappropriateday for thisastheBangali peoplehad in 1952 onthisday successfully defended their mother languageBanglawhich wasunder threat bypayingtheultimate sacrifice.
Based onthereply from UN hediscussed hisconcept with another friendof hisAbdusSalam. With his friend AbdusSalam, Rafiqul set up an organizationcalled ‘TheMother LanguageLoversof theWorld’and they bothstartedto work jointly torealise thedream of Rafiqul Islam. There were a total of ten language speakingpeoplehavingseven different languageswho were later onbrought in asmembersbesidesthe mother languageBanglabelongingto Rafiqul Islam andAbdusSalam.
All thesememberswere thesignatorieson thepetition to UNand UNESCOin 1999 to declare Feb 21st as International Mother LanguageDay.
Rafiqul Islamconstantly kept in touchwith theBangladeshi UNESCOofficials and theEducationministry over telephoneduringthat time. He also contactedtheUNESCO Parisoffice for updatesand information. Dueto thetimely and decisive action of thethen PrimeMinister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, diplomaticendeavour of Bangladesh’s Parisembassy and thetirelesseffort of theBangladeshi delegation to Parisandabove all the support of 28 other countries to adopt Bangladesh’s proposal andco proposeit as their own propelled the declaration of the historical declaration of Nov 17, 1999. This was theday International Mother Language Day was declared by UNESCO at the 152 plenary session of the 30th General Conference in Paris.
Rafiqul Islamworked in Vancouver in thehealth sector. He passed away dueto Bloodcancer on Nov20, 2013 at Vancouver General Hospital and isburied in Chilliwack with full statehonour from Bangladesh deservingof all freedomfighters.
He wastheFounder President of ‘TheMother LanguageLoversof theWorld’Vancouver and upuntil his death held thisposition. He wasan ex- president of theBongobondhu Porishodof BCand after wardshe also acted asan advisor of the BongobondhuPorishod .BC.
He wasawarded thehighest civilian award ‘Swadhinota Podok’in 2016 posthumously bythe Government of Bangladeshfor hispioneeringcontribution in thedeclaration of IMLD. His wifeBuli Islam received it onhisbehalf in March24, 2016 from thePrimeMinister of Bangladeshat Dhaka. Before this hereceived honorary recognition from theGovernment of Bangladesh, signedby thethen Prime Minister in 2000. Theprestigious‘Ekushe Podok’wasalso conferred to the organization 'Mother Language Lovers of the World'in 2001 by the Government of Bangladesh.
He left behindhiswife and two sonswho livein Surrey, British Columbia, Canada.