Bangladesh Steps Up Surveillance Of Chinese Vloggers Accused Of Anti-India Campaign

Bangladesh has stepped up surveillance of Chinese nationals accused of filming poor neighbourhoods in Dhaka and falsely presenting them as parts of New Delhi in videos circulated on Chinese social media platforms. The vloggers have reportedly reduced their activities following intervention by Bangladeshi police and intelligence agencies.

The controversy grew after reports emerged that around 150 Chinese nationals were operating in Dhaka's Tekpara and Uttara neighbourhoods. According to an investigation by Bangladeshi newspaper Prothom Alo published on November 6, they livestreamed narrow lanes, garbage-filled areas and low-income settlements while claiming to show India's capital. Some allegedly made insulting remarks about local living conditions.

The vloggers also filmed residents, their homes and daily activities, sometimes entering residential premises without explaining where the footage would be uploaded or how people would be portrayed. Reports suggested that some Bangladeshi citizens were paid to assist with the videos.

One vlogger, identified as Mianmian, who said she was from China's Sichuan province, was seen livestreaming beside a canal in Uttara's Sector 12 on November 1. She introduced the location as New Delhi and described its homes as dirty and unhygienic. Another Dhaka-based publication, The Business Standard, had documented similar activities in May.

A separate 6-minute-47-second video uploaded on Douyin, China's version of TikTok, by influencer Liu Xiaohao, who has 1.12 million followers, has also drawn attention. Titled 'Environment Documentary', it portrayed Delhi as a city buried in garbage and the Ganga as a sewage-filled river. However, several visuals were traced to Bangladesh. The video also made claims about E. coli contamination and ended by saying cleaning India was harder than landing on Mars.

India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) raised the issue on November 10, calling for appropriate action against those spreading false narratives to defame the country.

Mohammad Khalid Mansur, officer-in-charge of Uttara West Police Station, said the vloggers had become less active after police and intelligence agencies increased monitoring, Prothom Alo reported. The Chinese nationals were asked to produce their passports and visas and explain their activities while visiting Bangladesh on tourist visas. They were also told to leave after their permitted stay expires.

Residents said they had not seen the vloggers for several days. A local resident, Md Selim, and rickshaw puller Imamul Islam said the filming had stopped in their areas.