Is there nothing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bangladesh can do in response to the anti-Bangladesh poster used by the right-wing politician of the extreme right party Chega in Portugal, André Ventura, for his election campaign?
I think a lot can be done through diplomatic channels.

“ISTO NÃO É O BANGLADESH”, or “This is not Bangladesh”, this poster also falls under the category of hate speech, xenophobia and racial discrimination on an international scale, which is against the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD).

According to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (1961), if a political figure of a state publicly insults the dignity or people of another sovereign state, it can be considered an “unfriendly act”.

In light of Article 2(4) of the UN Charter, states are obliged to respect each other’s sovereignty and dignity.

Therefore, I think that the issue can be raised at the UN Human Rights Council, UNESCO, or ECOSOC and condemned as Hat Speech Against Developing Nations.

At the same time, a formal complaint can be sent to the European Parliament Subcommittee on Human Rights.

Again, as part of soft diplomacy, the Bangladesh Embassy in Lisbon can organize high-level discussions with the Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs where the need to maintain friendly relations between the people of both countries should be emphasized.

The Bangladesh Embassy can work with the local community to launch an awareness campaign highlighting Bangladesh’s progress, humanitarian values, and international contributions so that it is understood that Bangladesh is a respected and developing country.

Even the cooperation of the local administration can be sought to prevent the possibility of hate speech against Bangladeshi immigrants living in Portugal.

The latest Portuguese Honorary Consul in Bangladesh could be summoned for an official explanation and a “Note Verbale” could be issued stating that “this statement carries a kind of Bornoist, insulting and diplomatically unacceptable signal towards Bangladesh. This poster has undermined the sovereign dignity of Bangladesh and should be withdrawn immediately.”
In short, this statement by André Ventura is not just political propaganda, but a political tactic to humiliate a nation, which also tarnishes the image of civil tolerance in Portugal.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bangladesh should respond firmly and dignifiedly, maintaining diplomatic courtesy, so that such insulting propaganda does not happen again in the future.