WATCH | Chinese vloggers pass off Dhaka slums as Delhi:MEA expresses displeasure, says no one will believe false claims

Some Chinese vloggers were visiting slums in Dhaka and making videos. They are alleged to have livestreamed the areas on Chinese social media, claiming they were in Delhi, the capital of India. India expressed its displeasure over this on Tuesday and said that some people were paying foreign nationals to portray Dhaka as Delhi. No one will believe them if they continue spreading such false claims. Indian Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said: “We have seen media reports about this. Such attempts to present a distorted picture of any country are unfortunate. I would appeal to the Bangladeshi authorities to take action against such people.” More than 150 Chinese nationals were making videos in Dhaka The matter came to light following an investigative report by Bangladesh newspaper Prothom Alo. According to the newspaper, more than 150 Chinese nationals were filming videos of poor settlements in Dhaka. They were livestreaming the videos on Chinese social media platforms such as WeChat and Douyin. According to the report, these people were filming in Sector 12 of Dhaka’s Uttara area and in Tekpara. Low-income families live there. The area has narrow lanes and small houses with tin roofs. On 1 November, a Chinese woman named Mianmian livestreamed a video from Uttara Sector 12. She identified the location as New Delhi. In the video, she described the houses there as dirty and the area as underdeveloped. She also said that the houses with tin roofs did not even have fans. Similarly, a Chinese national named Wang Wei filmed videos of tea shops in Tekpara. He described the tea served there as “tea made with cow urine”. Prothom Alo translated the comments made in these videos from Chinese. Local residents complained about videos being filmed without permission According to the report, residents of the area complained that some Chinese nationals would enter their homes without permission. They would start filming the houses, kitchens and other private spaces. Some people also complained that cameras were taken into bathrooms. Residents said that when they objected, these people would apologise and leave. But after some time, they would return to film again. Chinese vloggers paid people for helping them film videos The report also claimed that some local people were paid 700 to 800 Bangladeshi taka a day to help make the videos. However, it is not clear who was paying them or who was behind the videos. Officials at Uttara West Police Station acknowledged that they had seen foreign nationals making videos in the area. Police officer Mohammad Khalid Mansour said they did not know the motive behind the videos. He had informed his senior officers about the matter. ​