Who’s left behind in the digital age? Exploring accessibility, perceptions and challenges of digital technology among indigenous communities in Bangladesh

Purpose The purpose of the study is to explore the accessibility, usage and perceptions of digital technology among indigenous communities in Bangladesh, focusing on the socio-economic factors and barriers that impact their access to and use of these technologies. Design/methodology/approach Different descriptive statistics were used to interpret the collected data and nonparametric tests were conducted to assess significant differences between variables. Chi-square tests were applied in bivariate analyses to explore gender and tribal differences in technology access and attitudes. Finally, a binary logistic regression model was used to examine the influence of socio-economic factors, such as education, tribe and geographic location, on participants’ perceptions and access to digital technology. Findings The study found that 46% of respondents had basic mobile phones, only 18.3% owned smartphones and 38.7% had internet access. Chakma tribe had significantly higher odds of favorable perceptions of digital technology [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 6.051, p = 0.017] compared to smaller tribes and geographically, participants from Sylhet reported better internet access compared to those in Bandarban (AOR = 0.027, p = 0.002). Financial costs, lack of devices, poor internet connectivity, limited digital literacy skills as well as the absence of content in native languages were identified as key barriers to digital access. Originality/value The study provides new empirical evidence of digital access, use and perceptions among the under-researched indigenous communities of Bangladesh, offering a unique socio-cultural perspective that enriches the global literature on digital inclusion and ICT access.