I was privileged to be a guest at the International Mother Language Day celebration, hosted by the Wagga Wagga and region Bangladeshi community.

It is one of three national days for Bangladesh and commemorates the fight to retain their national language, Bengali.

It is a strong reminder of the importance of language and culture to our multicultural society.

While we share common rights and responsibilities as Australians, we are also stronger for appreciating the many traditions that make up our society.