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MEA in a statement said, “…Such efforts to present a distorted picture of any country are unfortunate…We urge authorities concerned to take appropriate action against them.”
The MEA advised people to verify information only through its official communication channels.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has raised questions over recent reports that a group of Chinese vloggers and live streamers are filming in impoverished neighbourhoods of Dhaka, Bangladesh, and falsely presenting the locations as parts of New Delhi, India.
The vloggers are broadcasting footage from Dhaka neighbourhoods while making derogatory remarks about India’s living conditions, sanitation, food habits and poverty. This raises serious concerns about the deliberate misrepresentation of geographical locations and the potential use of misleading digital content to create negative perceptions about India among international audiences. The issue also highlights the growing challenge of misinformation and image manipulation on social media platforms, where sensationalised content can reach large audiences before its authenticity is verified.
Indian Ministry of External Affairs in a statement said, “We have seen the media reports in this regard. Such efforts to present a distorted picture of any country are unfortunate. In so far as efforts by foreign elements to portray parts of Dhaka as Delhi are concerned, peddling of false narratives undermines the credibility of the actors involved and those behind them in such an exercise. We urge authorities concerned to take appropriate action against them.”
INCIDENTS POINT TO A RECURRING PATTERN
According to the sources, over 150 Chinese nationals have been involved in filming and livestreaming in the Tekpara and Uttara localities of Dhaka. The activity appears to have continued for several months, with streamers reportedly operating from early morning until late at night.
Sources said that one Chinese national identified as ‘Mianmian’, who claimed to be from China’s Sichuan province, was reportedly seen livestreaming beside a canal in Sector 12 of Uttara, Dhaka, on November 1. While showing the neighbourhood to her online audience, she introduced the location as New Delhi, India, and described the houses and surrounding area as dirty, underdeveloped and unhygienic.
The incident raises concerns not only about the deliberate misrepresentation of Bangladesh’s geographical locations as Indian territory but also the misleading portrayals of India’s urban living conditions among international audiences. Another Chinese national, while livestreaming from tea stalls in the Tekpara area of Dhaka, made a derogatory remark claiming that the tea consumed by local residents was prepared using “cow urine”. The videos contain disparaging commentary about the living conditions of local residents, with repeated references to poor hygiene, inadequate sanitation and substandard lifestyles.
At A Glance
The Indian Ministry of External Affairs raised concerns over Chinese vloggers filming in Dhaka and falsely presenting the locations as New Delhi.
Over 150 Chinese nationals have been involved in filming and livestreaming in the Tekpara and Uttara localities of Dhaka for several months.
A local Bangladeshi guide named Ritu Akhter stated she earned between Tk 700 and Tk 800 per day for assisting the Chinese nationals.
Reports of Chinese content creators filming in Dhaka’s economically disadvantaged neighbourhoods have been emerging since May 2026.
NOT ISOLATED INCIDENT
The recent reports are not an isolated incident.
Sources pointed out that reports of Chinese content creators filming in Dhaka’s economically disadvantaged neighbourhoods have been emerging since May 2026 in these areas. A local Bangladeshi guide, Ritu Akhter, has stated that she earned between Tk 700 and Tk 800 per day for assisting the Chinese nationals. She also indicated that other local women were engaged in similar work.
These accounts suggest that the activity may have a commercial component involving livestreaming, audience engagement and product promotion. The chronology indicates that the repeated presence of Chinese content creators in the same low-income neighbourhoods, coupled with allegations of geographical misrepresentation and intrusive filming, suggests a continuing pattern to target India’s international image.
The Chinese nationals are reportedly broadcasting through Chinese social media platforms, particularly Douyin, China’s domestic short-video platform, and WeChat, China’s messaging and social networking platform. The available reports clearly suggest a coordinated anti-India campaign. The central issue is not simply the filming of povertybut the deliberate attribution of another country’s locations and living conditions to India, accompanied by derogatory commentary that could influence perceptions of Indian society in front of an international audience.
Quick Answers
Ask News18A group of Chinese vloggers and live streamers have been filming in impoverished neighbourhoods of Dhaka, Bangladesh, such as Uttara and Tekpara, and falsely presenting them to online audiences as New Delhi, India, while making derogatory remarks about sanitation and living conditions.
Ask News18November 10, 2026, 6:15 PM IST
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