The vloggers can reportedly be seen walking through the city's streets with two mobile phones, using one device to livestream their activities. They operate from morning until night.

According to a report by Bangladeshi newspaper Prothom Alo, around 150 Chinese vloggers are currently operating in the city, filming its streets and residential neighbourhoods.

However, local residents have little idea where the footage is being published or what the vloggers are saying about them.

The newspaper further reported that the activities of these Chinese nationals are not being adequately monitored by local police, leaving residents increasingly frustrated.

Claiming Dhaka Footage Is From 'New Delhi'

The vloggers reportedly showcase the living conditions of people in Dhaka while claiming that they are filming in New Delhi.

An analysis of their content revealed that although the videos are being recorded in Uttara, the Chinese nationals tell viewers during their livestreams that they are broadcasting from New Delhi, India, Prothom Alo reported.

Some of them allegedly describe Bangladeshis as poor people living in dirty and damp conditions. Others reportedly claim that Bangladeshi men waste money whenever they get their hands on it.

According to the newspaper, some Chinese women conducting livestreams can also be heard claiming that they live in the area with their husbands and families because they got married in India.

On November 1, a Chinese woman named Mianmian, who introduced herself as being from Sichuan province, was seen standing beside a canal in Sector 12 of Uttara and showing viewers footage of Tekpara.

During her livestream, she reportedly said, "This is New Delhi. Their homes are extremely dirty. There isn't even a fan inside the tin-roofed houses. This place is quite underdeveloped, dirty and unhygienic, and the law-and-order situation is poor."

She also shared her views on how people in India use toilets.

In another instance, a vlogger identified as Wang Wei was seen filming a local tea stall. According to Prothom Alo, he was heard telling viewers, "Look, they are drinking tea. Do you know what kind of tea this is? This is cow urine tea. They drink cow urine tea."

Local Guides Hired To Assist Vloggers

The newspaper reported that the Chinese vloggers have hired local residents to work as guides and assist them during their filming activities.

One such guide, identified as Ritu Akhter, said several other women were also helping the Chinese nationals in similar capacities.

Ritu told Prothom Alo that she primarily worked as a guide for the vloggers, earning between Tk 700 and Tk 800 a day.

She also claimed that the Chinese nationals earned money by uploading their videos to China-based platforms such as WeChat and Douyin (the Chinese version of TikTok), as well as other online platforms.

Meanwhile, a Chinese national named Fangyou told the newspaper that they livestreamed on a Chinese platform called WeChat as part of product promotion activities.

However, the vloggers reportedly declined to explain why they had chosen Uttara for their filming activities or why they spent such long hours livestreaming from the neighbourhood.

Ritu, however, told reporters that the Chinese nationals appeared particularly interested in areas inhabited by low-income communities in Bangladesh, which was why they had selected the neighbourhood.

Residents Complain About Privacy Violations

Local residents have also raised concerns about the vloggers allegedly intruding into their private spaces while filming.

According to the newspaper, some of the Chinese nationals have reportedly entered people's homes without permission and started recording videos.

A local resident, Rozina Khatun, told Prothom Alo, "Sometimes they enter our homes and start filming. We are not always properly dressed inside our houses. Imagine how it feels when someone suddenly walks into your home and starts recording."

Another resident, Papia Begum, alleged that some vloggers had even entered bathrooms while filming.

"Some of them even enter bathrooms while filming. Even if we say something to them, they don't understand. They just smile, say sorry and leave. This kind of nuisance continues throughout the day. Nobody takes any action either. If we confront them, they leave, but then come back again," she told the newspaper.

Police Yet To Establish Their Motive

Surprisingly, the activities of the Chinese vloggers have reportedly not been closely monitored by the local police. Officers have also cited language barriers as a major obstacle in understanding the purpose behind their activities.

Mohammad Khalid Mansur, officer-in-charge (OC) of Uttara West Police Station, told Prothom Alo, "I actually don't know why they make these videos. I don't know where the videos are screened either. However, I have informed senior authorities that they are making these videos. Work is underway on the matter."