What are Uttara’s Chinese vloggers up to?

As soon as we entered Techpara in Sector 12 of Uttara, we saw several foreign nationals holding mobile phones and recording videos. 

The scene was somewhat reminiscent of journalists going live from a location to report on the situation on the ground. The unusual sight greeted us in the small neighbourhood where the rows of Uttara's upscale residential buildings end and lower-income settlements begin.

At first glance, the matter seemed quite ordinary. But it quickly aroused curiosity — what exactly were they trying to show? The lifestyle of the area, the narrow lanes and densely packed settlements, or was there some other purpose behind it?

Upon closer observation, it became clear that they were not only filming videos; they were also speaking directly to the camera in their own language. Some locals stopped to watch them, while others stared in surprise. It was as if this different reality, existing right beside Uttara's polished urban life, had become the sole focus of their cameras.

At first, one of them was seen resting nearby. I asked how he was and which country he was from. He replied, "Chinese." After being welcomed to Bangladesh, he immediately rose to his feet.

I then asked, "What are you filming here? Which platform is this for? YouTube, Facebook, TikTok, or something else?"

As soon as he heard the question, he said, "I have to go home," and hurriedly got onto a rickshaw and left.

Curiouser and curiouser

I felt like the main character from Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.  

An ordinary tourist does not typically flee a location in such haste upon noticing journalists.

We then continued walking along the roads of Techpara. The further we moved, the more Chinese vloggers we noticed — each holding an iPhone fitted with a cooling fan, suggesting each vlogging session lasted hours. 

At least five or six people were seen recording videos across the narrow streets and alleyways. None of them seemed interested in talking. Some locals watched them, while others pretended not to notice.

We spoke with a young man named Raju Ahmed, who has been living in the area for nearly 15 years.

"I have been here since childhood," he said. "I have been seeing them [Chinese vloggers] for around a year now. At one point, there was even tension in the area because of them. Local residents complained that they were entering houses without permission. Tenants of one house complained that they came into the kitchen area and even near the bathing space with their cameras."

According to him, one of the individuals was once stopped and asked why he had entered a house. The man reportedly claimed that he had a "boss," and later, another Chinese person arrived and tried to defuse the situation.

"That person said he has a lot of money and connections in this country," Raju claimed. "He said he can do whatever he wants."

Raju said that local residents are highly irritated by their presence. "We still do not understand what their actual work is. They are seen here from morning until night — sometimes until 10 or 11pm. I have seen them in other parts of Uttara too, but their numbers are highest in Techpara."

He also alleged that women's privacy is frequently compromised. "If a house's gate is open, they walk straight in. Many times, they show no respect for women's privacy whatsoever," he said.

Mohammad Badal, who has been living in the area for around 20 to 22 years, said he has regularly seen Chinese nationals filming videos in the neighbourhood for the past year.

"They record videos whenever they see boys or girls," he said. "Often they even enter houses and take various kinds of footage. Once, there was even a fight in the area over this. Later, they came back in a group with the police."

They are especially drawn to local slums and houses of lower-income residents, Badal added.

Monowara Begum, a long-time resident of Techpara, claimed that some Bangladeshi women also regularly accompany the Chinese nationals and assist in making videos.

"The girls who go around with them are paid between Tk500 and Tk1,000," she said. "They walk with them all day and stand beside them while they record videos. They say they go live, but we do not really understand what they are filming."

We attempted to speak with several more Chinese nationals who were recording videos on their mobile phones, but they refused to engage.

One of them only disclosed his name. "My name is Li Wei. I only work for my boss," he said. When asked where the videos are published or whether they run any online channels, he replied, "I do not have the videos," and declined to say anything further.

When we approached another individual, he quickly ran inside a nearby house. Several other Chinese nationals were sitting in front of that same house, and as soon as they noticed the presence of journalists, they, too, hurried inside and shut the door.

TBS attempted to speak with several Chinese nationals who were recording videos on their mobile phones, but they refused to engage.

What are the Chinese vloggers filming in Bangladesh?

Although TBS could not independently verify where the Chinese vloggers encountered in Techpara were posting their content, a quick search on Chinese video-sharing platforms such as Bilibili and Youku paints a troubling picture. 

A large number of Chinese vloggers filming in Bangladesh appear to follow a specific formula: video titles almost invariably feature words such as "poor", "dirty", or "slum". The videos mostly focus on the poverty of local residents, typically framing the vlogger as a generous benefactor coming to the aid of those in need.

Beyond the framing, there appear to be serious breaches of privacy. In several videos, individuals are seen bathing or going about their private lives, apparently unaware they are being filmed. Vloggers are also seen entering people's homes without invitation, with the subjects visibly uncomfortable on camera. 

In one particularly alarming video, a creator was seen grabbing a Bangladeshi youth by the collar, apparently to "discipline" him — a scene that raises serious questions about the conduct of some of these content creators and the degree to which local residents are being exploited for online content.

Local residents complained that they were entering houses without permission.

Recent criminal cases involving Chinese nationals in Bangladesh

The growing presence of Chinese nationals in Bangladesh has largely been tied to infrastructure projects, factories, engineering, trade, and technology-related businesses. Thousands of Chinese citizens now live and work across Dhaka, Chattogram, Gazipur, and several industrial and construction zones linked to large-scale Chinese-backed projects.

Over the past few years, however, Bangladeshi law enforcement agencies have also uncovered a series of criminal cases involving Chinese nationals — particularly in areas related to cyber fraud, illegal online gambling, trafficking, gold smuggling, counterfeit electronics, and illegal telecommunications operations.

One of the most discussed recent cases emerged from Uttara and Turag in May 2026. The Detective Branch arrested nine individuals, including six Chinese nationals, over allegations of operating online gambling and cyber fraud networks. 

Investigators alleged the group used Facebook pages, YouTube channels, Telegram groups, and multiple fake investment websites to attract users with promises of fast profits and betting opportunities. 

During the raids, police recovered dozens of mobile phones, laptops, foreign SIM cards, internet devices, and digital transaction-related materials. Investigators also alleged that large sums of money had been transferred abroad through digital channels and informal networks.

Earlier, in January 2026, another major operation led to the arrest of five Chinese nationals and three Bangladeshis from Uttara and Bashundhara Residential Area. Law enforcement agencies alleged the group operated illegal VoIP systems, online fraud schemes, and fake job advertisements targeting people through Telegram and other social media platforms. 

Authorities seized more than 51,000 SIM cards, 51 mobile phones, 21 illegal VoIP gateway devices, laptops, routers, and internet communication equipment from them. Investigators believed the operation had links to international cybercrime networks exploiting Bangladesh as a low-cost operational base.

In the same month, police uncovered an alleged illegal iPhone assembly and distribution network in Dhaka involving Chinese nationals. Authorities claimed the operation assembled or modified devices using smuggled components brought into Bangladesh whilst evading customs duties and taxes. 

More than 300 iPhones and large quantities of mobile phone components were seized in the raid. Investigators alleged the network had been active for nearly one and a half years and had been supplying devices to local markets through unofficial channels.

Bangladesh has also seen several trafficking-related allegations involving Chinese nationals. In multiple cases between 2024 and 2026, law enforcement agencies arrested Chinese citizens accused of attempting to traffic Bangladeshi women to China through false promises of marriage, overseas employment, or better economic opportunities. 

Some investigations alleged the existence of organised broker networks operating between Bangladesh and China. In one case, a young woman reportedly escaped at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport before boarding her flight and later accused traffickers of attempting to take her abroad against her will.

Law enforcement officials say the vast majority of Chinese nationals in Bangladesh are engaged in legitimate work linked to construction, manufacturing, engineering, telecommunications, and trade. However, officials also acknowledge that Bangladesh has increasingly appeared on the radar of transnational cybercrime groups, owing to its expanding digital infrastructure, relatively low operational costs, and large mobile internet user base.

As soon as we entered Techpara in Sector 12 of Uttara, we saw several foreign nationals holding mobile phones and recording videos.

Against that broader backdrop, the repeated appearance of Chinese nationals filming inside Uttara's Techpara has naturally generated suspicion, discomfort, and unease among local residents. That said, there is no evidence linking the individuals seen recording videos in the area to any previously reported criminal activity.

Ariful Islam Rony, Assistant Commissioner of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police, currently serving in the Uttara zone, told TBS, "Although foreign nationals have previously been found involved in various crimes, we do not yet have any specific information regarding that particular area." After being briefed on the details by TBS, he described the matter as "suspicious".

For now, the mystery in Techpara remains exactly that — a mystery.