Chinese nationals livestream from Dhaka slums claiming they are in Delhi
An investigation revealed over 150 Chinese nationals are falsely presenting underprivileged neighbourhoods in Dhaka as everyday life in India to viewers in China.
More than 150 Chinese nationals have been livestreaming from low-income settlements in Dhaka, falsely telling viewers in China that the locations are in Delhi, according to a Times of India report.
The investigation by the Bangladeshi newspaper Prothom Alo found that the streamers focus on Sector 12 and Tekpara, which are dense, low-income areas in Uttara town, north of Dhaka.
The creators use two smartphones to broadcast from early morning until late at night on platforms such as WeChat and Douyin. Some streamers promote Chinese air conditioner brands while filming the tin-roofed houses.
A Chinese national named Fangyou told Prothom Alo that these streams are part of product promotion activities. Another creator, Mianmian, was seen showing tin huts and claiming the location was Delhi where the law-and-order situation is poor.
Residents have complained about privacy violations, alleging that streamers enter homes unannounced and sometimes film into bathrooms. Local guides are reportedly hired for Tk 700 to Tk 800 a day to assist the nationals.
Mohammad Khalid Mansur, officer-in-charge of Uttara West Police Station, told Prothom Alo that officers are aware of the filming but language barriers have hindered attempts to pursue the matter.
