ICT Use, Collective Agency and Community Transformation in Rural Bangladesh

This paper presents a collectivist or communally-oriented interpretation of the Capability Approach (CA), within an Information and Communication Technology for Development (ICT4D) project targeted at rural communities. The paper examines how rural women in Bangladesh appropriated smartphones introduced through a digital inclusion initiative. Informed by Kleine’s Choice Framework, the study explores how agency interacts with assets and structures to shape strategic life choices. In this case, the focus is on and how these engagements show expressions of collective agency within restrictive socio-cultural environments. Findings demonstrate that while women used smartphones to access information and services, the more significant outcomes emerged through relational and collective practices. A communally-oriented perspective provides valuable insights into an ICT project's design and implementation process. It highlights the importance of recognising the community members as active participants oriented to communal, rather than solely individualistic, outcomes. This article contributes to the literature on ICT4D and Community Informatics by highlighting the need for community-centric engagement and a contextually sensitive approach in designing and implementing ICT projects in rural communities.