A heated controversy has gripped Portugal after far-right politician André Ventura, leader of the Chega Party, launched a campaign billboard near a Montijo bus stop reading “Isto não é Bangladesh” (“This is not Bangladesh”) — a slogan now condemned as racist and demeaning.
The poster, featuring Ventura’s image, was part of his presidential campaign push ahead of Portugal’s January election, aiming to rally nationalist sentiment. However, members of Portugal’s Bangladeshi diaspora, particularly in Montijo and Lisbon, expressed outrage, saying the slogan reduces Bangladesh to a political insult.
> “André Ventura is a racist leader,” said a Bangladeshi resident in Lisbon. “He used Bangladesh’s name to spread hate.”
The controversy has since ignited protests and social media backlash, with hashtags like #StopChegaRacism and #RespectBangladesh trending among Portuguese-Bangladeshi users.
Ventura’s Chega Party, founded in 2019, has grown rapidly on a hardline anti-immigration platform, often accused of xenophobia and Islamophobia. The politician previously faced criticism after a heated exchange with Bangladeshi worker Iqbal Hossain in 2024, further straining relations with immigrant communities.
Source: Multiple international outlets
#Portugal #Chega #AndréVentura #Bangladesh #Racism #FarRight #StopChegaRacism #RespectBangladesh #ImmigrantRights #Lisbon
