Canada Bangladesh Muslim Community (CBMC) is a Bangladesh community group in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The group’s primary focus is to promote and encourage the Islamic way of life among all generations of Muslim Bangladeshi Canadians. Founded in 2014, the Canada Bangladesh Muslim Community organizes a wide variety of activities for its members and the broader community. Most of the activities focus on educating and mentoring the Bangladeshi youth community in a fun and engaging way, such as essay competitions for youth, civic cleaning drives, gardening, annual picnics, sporting competitions, blood donation drives, Islamic discussions, and Iftar parties.
Objectives
- To sustain and promote the religious, cultural and social values and traditions and ideals of the Bangladeshi Muslims in Canada by involving Canadian Bangladeshi youth who are born and/or raised in Canada; to enable them to think through their identity trajectory; to establish an identity that is multifaceted, Islamic, Canadian and Bangladeshi to become proud Canadian of Islamic faith.
- To promote greater understanding, mutual respect, tolerance, and cooperation amongst Canadians of diverse religious, cultural, social, and multi-faith groups in Canada.
Activities of the Canada Bangladesh Muslim Community (CBMC)
- Conduct seminars and discussions on topics of interest germane to the CBMC’s objectives.
- Organize an annual Blood Donor Clinic in partnership with the Islamic Society of Cumberland (Bilal Mosque) and other interested parties.
- Participate in the yearly Petrie Island Cleaning Initiative in partnership with Orleans Multicultural Association and other interested parties.
- Organize an annual community picnic and encourage celebrating diversity by engaging youth of different age groups through various activities during the picnic, as well as through all of the CBMC’s activities.
- Organize an annual Badminton and Basketball Tournament involving community members across the National Capital Region, with a view to strengthening friendships among our children and their friends.
- Support CBMC’s youth wing, titled CBMC Greens, in its approved activities.
- Distribute Qurbani (Udhiyyah) meat and non-perishable food products for the Ottawa-based Sadaqa Food Bank.
- Organize an annual Iftar Mahfeel during the month of Ramadan along with associated activities, such as Essay Competition and Student of the Year Award; recognition of a Canadian of Bangladeshi origin for his or her contribution in his or her field of endeavours by awarding a Distinction Award.
Most of the activities are done by the Bangladesh community as volunteers. Sometimes students are given credit for their volunteering work. Sometimes the group provides a stipend or scholarship as encouragement.