CANADA’S TOP 25 IMMIGRANTS
Ahmed Mustaq
Occupation:
Accountant
Country of Origin:
Bangladesh
City:
Toronto
Admirable accountant
Ahmed Mustaq has seen it all as a skilled immigrant with family in tow and little practical knowledge of English and nobody to turn to for help. And, like many immigrants, he also emerged out of the situation as a survivor. “There were many cultural and language barriers, but I overcame those through continuous learning and adaptation,” says Mustaq, 21 years after first arriving in Canada.
As a newcomer, Mustaq first honed his English language skills so that he was better equipped as a jobseeker and then began networking both within his Bangladeshi community and the professional accounting community in the hopes of landing a job in his field.
The success he eventually found through this strategy got him to think about helping fellow immigrants, particularly from his own community. He created a Bangladeshi-Canadian phone directory including a guide for newcomers. The directory offered information about health services, education, recreation and settlement services that are crucial to a newcomer.
However, six years ago, Mustaq was laid off from a company where he had worked for more than 15 years. Hardly fazed by the sudden loss of income and uncertain job situation, he enrolled himself into the Ontario Self-Employment Benefit program. After going through intensive business skills development training, he opened his own accounting business.
His advice to other immigrants is that one should not give up when faced with such life-changing situations. “My positive attitude toward the challenges I encountered and facing those with patience and perseverance helped me succeed in Canada.”
Ahmed Mustaq founded the first Bangladeshi-Canadian Community Services (BCS) centre, which marks its 10th anniversary next year. BCS is located in the heart of the Danforth in Toronto where the majority of the Bangladeshi community has settled. Ahmed’s main goal in opening this local community organization was to help newcomers with settlement and integration into the Canadian way of life. Services include: Information, Referrals, Career Counseling, Legal Aid, Crisis Management, Intervention, Mentorship and Educational Workshops. He currently serves as an advisor to BCS and also volunteers with other organizations such as the Bangladesh Canadian Political Action Committee and the Association of Bangladeshi Professionals in Accounting and Financing.
Being born in a farming family in Bangladesh, moving to foreign country and becoming a successful business owner, community and religious leader, and a political activist, Mustaq is indeed a top Canadian
Source: http://canadianimmigrant.ca/canadas-top-25-immigrants/canadas-top-25-immigrants-2012/ahmed-mustaq
