NEW DELHI — India on Tuesday condemned attempts by Chinese vloggers to portray impoverished neighbourhoods in Bangladesh's capital Dhaka as parts of New Delhi, saying the peddling of false narratives undermined the credibility of those behind it.

Source: IANS via The Freedom Press

Responding to a question at the Ministry of External Affairs' bi-weekly media briefing, spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the government had seen media reports on the matter. 'Such efforts to present a distorted picture of any country are unfortunate,' he said, adding that efforts to portray Dhaka as Delhi 'only undermine the credibility of those who are undertaking such actions and those who are behind them.' Jaiswal urged the authorities concerned to take action against those involved.

Source: Zee News

What the reports say

The remarks followed an investigative report by the Bangladeshi daily Prothom Alo, cited by several outlets, which alleged that around 150 Chinese nationals had been filming and livestreaming from low-income neighbourhoods in Dhaka — particularly the Tekpara and Uttara areas — while claiming the footage showed New Delhi. The activity has reportedly been emerging since May 2026, with streamers active from early morning until late at night.

Source: The Business Standard

One Chinese woman identified as 'Mianmian', who said she was from China's Sichuan province, reportedly livestreamed on November 1 from beside a canal in Uttara Sector 12 of Dhaka and presented the area to her audience as New Delhi. Reports said the videos contained derogatory remarks about living conditions, sanitation, food habits and poverty — remarks India says were based on a false location.

150+Chinese nationals reported filming in Dhaka, per Prothom Alo report cited by outlets
May 2026Reports of the filming activity first emerging
10 NovDate of the MEA briefing in New Delhi

What happens next

India's response so far is a public statement: the MEA has urged the authorities concerned to act, and no formal diplomatic note had been reported as of Tuesday. Whether Bangladesh acts on the filming in Dhaka, and whether the platforms hosting the livestreams remove the misleading videos, will decide whether the row ends with the briefing or escalates.