This study assesses the impact and effectiveness of the National Information and Communications Technology Policy (NIP) in Bangladesh, which is a key legal framework for ‘Vision 2021’ and ‘Digital Bangladesh’. It investigates the extent to which digital inclusion can be achieved by the NIP strategies, as well as exploring the conceptualisation of digital inclusion, which undergirds the contemporary debate on the digital divide and inclusion. The study employs a qualitative approach using policy goal-means analysis to explore critical scrutiny of the internal rationality and logic of the NIP based on three distinct criteria of the digital inclusion analytical framework: ICT access, use and skills. The analysis argues that the policy is ambiguous and techno-centric, with a narrow digitisation frame of reference, which does not comprehensively address the issues associated with digital inclusion. Policy needs to be consistent and relevant to a person’s daily life, giving the user a sense of empowerment and skill. The article concludes that a focus on a skill-based approach and the context of societal challenges of Bangladesh is crucial to ensuring digital inclusion.

This article examines how the Rohingya diaspora employs social media platforms to reclaim their identity narratives through visibility and resistance in the context of genocide and subsequent prolonged displacement. Drawing on qualitative interviews with 15 displaced Rohingya members and activists in Brisbane, Australia, this article demonstrates how transnational digital engagements foreground the construction of the Rohingya diaspora, and subsequently how the transnational identities are negotiated and mediated online. The findings show that the social media platforms facilitated the Rohingya diaspora development and identity construction through building an ‘imagined community’ of resistance, transnational advocacy networks and diasporic media production. At the same time, this article explores how online activism evolved and marginal voices emerged in cyberspace longing for home(land), justice and citizenship rights. This study brings unique insights to understand voices from the margins and shows how new media allow ethnic minorities and marginalised groups to construct diasporic identity through online mediation in transnational spaces.

The advent of COVID-19 has exposed digital and social inequalities across the world. The United Nations (UN) and other global bodies like the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have warned that the ...

There are significant digital inclusion disparities between low‐ and high‐income households across countries. Yet, there is a lack of in‐depth research about the relationship between digital and social participation in low‐income family households, especially in households facing multiple forms of disadvantage and discrimination due to language, cultural or literacy barriers. This article is based on long‐term ethnographic research with low‐income, migrant family households in the most culturally diverse region of Australia—Western Sydney. We find that household digital inclusion is perceived as necessary and important by parents—but also as a burden that has social, financial and emotional dimensions. We also find that a lack of targeted and culturally informed digital and social inclusion services constrain what digital connection can achieve for families. We argue that under these conditions, equitable digital inclusion cannot be achieved.

Although Bangladesh has adopted many digital initiatives, it continues to grapple with widespread digital disparity and social inequality. Through semi-structured interviews, this study explores the dynamics of the digital divide and the perceptions and experiences of undergraduate students in Bangladesh in ICT education and learning. The findings indicate that, despite the significant impact of the digital divide, caused by multifaceted socioeconomic inequality, ICT education has largely failed to provide students with essential digital skills. This article emphasizes the need for an effective learning environment that prioritizes three interconnected dimensions: equal access, resources, and digital literacy. By examining the interplay between digital divides and the imperative of integrating e-learning into pedagogical strategies, this study contributes to the field of educational policy and technology. Ultimately, this article advocates a digitally inclusive and student-centred digital learning environment in the technology-poor setting of higher education in Bangladesh.