A case has come to light by making a video in the poor slums of Bangladesh's capital Dhaka and calling them New Delhi, the capital of India.
It is alleged that a group of Chinese citizens were going to different areas of Dhaka and broadcasting the living conditions and basic facilities there live on Chinese social media platforms by portraying them as Indian.
India has reacted to this and expressed displeasure. The Foreign Ministry has called it an attempt to 'spread a false narrative'. However, till now there has been no response from China in this matter.
Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on Tuesday, "We have seen media reports in this regard. Such attempts to present a distorted picture of any country are unfortunate."
"The attempt by foreign elements to label parts of Dhaka as Delhi promotes a false narrative. This only weakens the credibility of the people doing this and those behind them. I would appeal to the concerned authorities to take action against such people."
A report in Bangladeshi newspaper Pratham Aalo has claimed that a group of Chinese citizens was recording poor colonies in Dhaka. These people were circulating the video on China's social media platforms Douyin and WeChat.
The report claimed that in the video, the picture of 'India's poverty and poor infrastructure' was being presented by misrepresenting the areas of Dhaka as New Delhi.
According to the report, Chinese citizens were making videos in the narrow streets of Sector-12 and Tekpara of Uttara area of Dhaka. Low income families live in these areas and many houses here have tin roofs.
Local people say that more than 150 Chinese citizens making such videos are seen roaming on the roads and narrow lanes of the area. However, people are not aware on which platforms these videos are being uploaded and what is being said in them.
Even the local police is not keeping an eye on their activities. According to the report, initially the local residents were curious to see these people doing live streaming continuously from morning till night, but now these activities have become a cause of trouble and resentment for them.
There is also mention of a Chinese woman named Mianmian in the report. She had told that she was a resident of Sichuan province of China. It is alleged that on November 1, he made a live video from near the canal in Sector-12 of Uttara and described this area as New Delhi. Miyanmiyan also described the way people use toilets in India.
In the video the woman criticized the houses and basic facilities there. He said, "The houses here are very dirty and the houses with tin roofs do not even have fans." Describing the area as backward and unhygienic, he also raised questions on law and order.
The first ALO report also mentions another Chinese citizen named Wang Wei. He was recording tea sellers in Tekpada.
The report said, "He made derogatory remarks about the local people's tea and claimed that the tea was made from cow urine. He stood in front of another tea shop and claimed that the tea people were drinking there was made from dirty river water. He also described the lifestyle of the local people as extremely unhygienic."
The report also mentions some other Chinese citizens making such videos in which they were seen claiming to get married in India and live in these settlements with the local people.
According to the report, local people have expressed displeasure over the making of videos by Chinese citizens without permission. People allege that the recorders often entered their homes, kitchens and private parts without permission.
Some people told Pratham Aalo that when they protested, the vloggers would apologize and leave, but after some time they would come back to record again. Because of this, anger and uneasiness was increasing among the local residents.
Pratham Aalo's report also revealed that some local people were helping Chinese citizens to roam around the settlements and make videos. A local woman named Ritu Akhtar told that she used to work as a guide for Chinese citizens and in return she got 700 to 800 taka per day. She also told that some other Bangladeshi women also helped her in this work.
According to the report, a man named Fanyu described these live broadcasts as part of commercial promotional activities.
Officials of Uttara West Police Station have confirmed seeing foreign nationals making videos in the area. However, the police said that the real motive behind these recordings is not yet clear.
"I really don't know why they make these videos. I don't even know where these videos are shown. However, I have informed senior officers that they are making such videos. The matter is being worked on," Mohammad Khalid Mansoor, officer-in-charge (OC) of Uttara West police station, told Pratham Aalo.
