India says passing off Dhaka as Delhi is a false narrative, urges action against Chinese vloggers
Jaiswal asked the authorities concerned to act against the people involved, while the reports carry no response from China or Bangladesh.
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India on Tuesday criticised videos that pass off Dhaka as Delhi, with Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal calling such efforts to present a distorted picture of any country unfortunate. He spoke at the weekly briefing on 10 November 2026 and asked the authorities concerned to act against Chinese vloggers who filmed poor neighbourhoods of the Bangladeshi capital, according to The Week.
What Randhir Jaiswal told the MEA briefing
“We have seen media reports in this regard. Such efforts to present a distorted picture of any country are unfortunate,” Jaiswal said. He added that “the peddling of false narratives only undermines the credibility of those who are undertaking such actions.”
He then urged action against the people involved. The Business Standard in Dhaka reported the remarks as India asking Bangladesh to act, though the quotes name no government.
What the Chinese vloggers filmed in Uttara
About 150 Chinese nationals have reportedly filmed and livestreamed in the Tekpara and Uttara areas of Dhaka, mostly on Douyin and WeChat, for several months, The Week said. One livestream on 1 November, from a canal in Sector 12 of Uttara, allegedly called the area New Delhi and described the houses as dirty and underdeveloped. Another streamer allegedly claimed that tea at a Tekpara stall was made with cow urine.
Most of these details come from unnamed sources and media reports rather than verified documents. The report carried no response from China, the vloggers or Bangladeshi authorities.
Key numbers
- About 150: Chinese nationals reportedly filming in Tekpara and Uttara, per The Week.
- 1 November: the date of the Sector 12 livestream that called the area New Delhi.
- May 2026: when reports of Chinese creators filming in Dhaka’s poorer neighbourhoods began to circulate.
- 10 November: the day Jaiswal responded at the MEA briefing.
Why the Dhaka as Delhi videos draw an Indian response
Srikanth Kondapalli, a Chinese studies expert at Jawaharlal Nehru University, told ANI: “However, this is an artificial portrayal of other countries.” India TV reported that he called it an ideological struggle. Experts cited in that report said anti-India videos have circulated on Weibo and WeChat since November 2024.
For another India diplomacy story this week, see our report on India rejecting the Pannun lawsuit.
What happens next
India has named no government and announced no step beyond the appeal. Whether Bangladesh acts on the Dhaka as Delhi videos, and whether Beijing responds, is not known from the reports.
The videos were filmed in Bangladesh by Chinese nationals but present conditions there as India's, so the row touches India's ties with both neighbours. India has only urged action and named no government, so whether Dhaka acts and whether Beijing responds will show if this stays a media row.
Named in this story
Sources
- Peddling false narratives undermines their credibility: India tears into Chinese vloggers for passing off Dhaka as Delhi (The Week)
- India urges Bangladesh to act against Chinese vloggers portraying Dhaka slums as Delhi (The Business Standard)
- Peddling false narratives: India hits out at Chinese vloggers' attempts to misrepresent Dhaka as Delhi (India TV)