India's Ministry of External Affairs called for action Tuesday after Bangladeshi newspaper Prothom Alo reported that Chinese nationals livestreamed from Dhaka neighborhoods while describing them as New Delhi, without identifying who should respond or what steps to take.
At a briefing, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the ministry had seen media reports and urged the authorities concerned to take “appropriate action.” He called attempts to portray parts of Dhaka as Delhi “unfortunate” and said spreading false narratives “undermines the credibility of the actors involved.” Jaiswal did not name the authorities or set out specific measures.
Prothom Alo reported filming in Uttara’s Sector 12 and Tekpara. Its reporters went to Uttara on Oct. 27 and Nov. 3 and sought interviews with 17 Chinese nationals. Residents gave the newspaper an estimate of more than 150 people filming there, but Prothom Alo said a reliable total was unavailable.
The newspaper said it used Google Translate for some livestream excerpts and asked four Bangladeshis familiar with Chinese to review the translations. It reported that a woman identified as Mianmian said “This is New Delhi” during a Nov. 1 stream beside a canal. Prothom Alo also said a streamer identified as Wang Wei made a derogatory remark about tea sold at a Tekpara stall.
A Chinese national identified as Fangyou described the WeChat broadcasts as product promotion, according to Prothom Alo, but did not explain the choice of neighborhood. The paper cited residents who said streamers had entered homes to film, prompting privacy concerns. It also reported that local guide Ritu Akhter earned Tk 700 to Tk 800 a day.
Uttara West Police Station Officer-in-Charge Mohammad Khalid Mansur told Prothom Alo he had notified senior officials and work was underway. Mansur said he could not explain the recordings’ purpose or where they were distributed. The newspaper’s reporting did not identify who arranged the broadcasts or provide evidence that a government ordered them; it reported no deadline or outcome for the police work.
