India has urged Bangladesh to take strict action against Chinese vloggers who have reportedly been filming in Dhaka's slum areas for months and presenting the locations as parts of New Delhi in livestreams on Chinese social media platforms.
During the ministry's weekly press briefing on 10 November, Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal described the incident as "unfortunate."
"Such efforts to present a distorted picture of any country are unfortunate," he said, referring to media reports on the issue.
"Insofar as efforts to buy foreign elements to portray Dhaka as Delhi are concerned, the peddling of false narratives only undermines the credibility of those who are undertaking such actions and those who are behind them. And I would urge the authorities concerned to take strict action against such people," Jaiswal added.
According to recent media reports, Chinese vloggers and livestreamers have been recording videos in impoverished neighborhoods of Dhaka while falsely identifying the locations as parts of New Delhi.
The videos reportedly contain derogatory remarks about India's living conditions, sanitation, food habits and poverty.
According to Prothom Alo, the activity has been reported in Sector 12 of Uttara and the adjoining Tekpara area, where local residents estimate that more than 150 Chinese nationals have been filming.
The vloggers reportedly move through streets and alleyways carrying two mobile phones and livestreaming for hours. Some individuals have also entered private residences to record footage.
The activities have reportedly continued for months, increasingly angering local residents, many of whom remain unaware of where the footage is being published or how the locations are being represented to viewers.
Why it matters
The incident highlights diplomatic friction over disinformation campaigns targeting India's image and raises questions about foreign nationals' activities in Bangladesh.