MEA flags Chinese livestreamers for allegedly passing off Dhaka as Delhi

India on Tuesday criticised attempts by foreign elements to pass off footage from poorer neighbourhoods in Bangladesh's capital, Dhaka, as scenes from New Delhi, calling the practice misleading and urging the authorities concerned to take action against those responsible.

The response came after reports emerged of Chinese content creators livestreaming from low-income areas of Dhaka while allegedly claiming that the footage showed parts of the Indian capital.

Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said such attempts to misrepresent conditions in one country as those in another were unfortunate and only damaged the credibility of those involved.


"We have seen media reports in this regard. Such efforts to present a distorted picture of any country are unfortunate, I must say, insofar as efforts by foreign elements to portray Dhaka as Delhi are concerned. Peddling false narratives only undermines the credibility of those undertaking such actions and those behind them. We would urge the authorities concerned to take action against such people," Jaiswal said.

The controversy follows a November 6 investigation by Bangladeshi newspaper Prothom Alo, which identified Chinese livestreamers recording videos in Dhaka's Uttara and Tekpara neighbourhoods.

Also Read: 150 Chinese vloggers on mission to defame India? Concerns raised after allegations of passing off Bangladesh slums as Delhi

According to the report, the streamers used platforms including WeChat and Douyin, China's version of TikTok, to broadcast footage of narrow lanes, modest homes and roadside tea stalls, while allegedly telling viewers that the locations were in New Delhi.

Their commentary reportedly included disparaging remarks about sanitation, housing and the living conditions of residents.

One of the streamers, identified as Mianmian, was seen filming in Uttara's Sector 12 on November 1. Another, identified as Wang Wei, reportedly made derogatory comments about tea served at stalls in Tekpara.

A video circulating widely on X has claimed that around 150 Chinese nationals were involved in the activity. However, the figure has not been independently verified.

It remains unclear what prompted the broadcasts or whether the streamers were acting together.

One of them reportedly told Prothom Alo that the livestreaming was connected to product promotion. The newspaper's investigation, however, could not establish who had commissioned the broadcasts or whether they were part of a coordinated campaign