Bangladeshi Muslims in Venice are threatening strikes and street protests after the city’s mayor halted plans to build a large mosque and Islamic centre costing around €20 million in Mestre on the mainland.
The Muslims, who are organised through the association «Giovani per l’Umanità», have purchased an area of around 8,000 square metres near Mestre railway station. There they want to build a larger «cultural centre» with a prayer room, library, educational facilities, auditorium and parking spaces.
Change of zoning is not an automatic right
Mayor Simone Venturini (centre-right) has rejected the necessary zoning changes. He believes the project is too large and that the conditions are currently inadequate. Venturini has pointed, among other things, to the Bengalis’ lack of integration, knowledge of Italian, women’s participation and involvement in local community life.
He emphasises that freedom of religion applies, but that changing the zoning from commercial use to a place of worship is a discretionary decision for the city council, not an automatic right.
Prince Howlader, leader of «Giovani per l’Umanità», has announced that the group is ready to take to the streets and strike. He claims that a strike by Bengali workers would hit the Fincantieri shipyard in Marghera hard, where many of them are employed – as well as the tourism industry, restaurants and hotels.
– If we strike, Fincantieri and the entire tourism industry will come to a halt, Howlader has said. He refers to the freedom of religion enshrined in the Italian Constitution and says that the community has the right to a proper place to pray.
Bangladesh is the Somalia of Asia. Send them all back home.
— Clem (@MauritiusMisfit) August 31, 2026
The threat of a strike has met with opposition within the Bengali community, where several people have publicly distanced themselves from it and emphasised that they want dialogue, not to harm the local economy or the city’s reputation.
According to Corriere della Sera, there are currently around 20,000 practising Muslims in Venice.
