ICT intervention in the 'Chandanbari' Village of Bangladesh: Results from a field study

The United Nations, the World Bank and the International Telecommunication Union purport that information and communication technology (ICT) interventions improve development in third world countries. Hence, developing countries are rushing to implement various ICT interventions in urban-rural areas aiming to engender local or national development. Through an interpretive case study of an ICT intervention in the Chandanbari village area of Bangladesh, this research describes some challenges surrounding ICT interventions. From background literature concerning bridging the digital-divide we emphasise users' capability, local context and local content during the planning and implementation of ICT interventions. We apply Heeks' (eDevelopment Briefing, 3(1), 1-2, 2005) information chain model to improve understanding of ICT-led development at the community/individual level. Our findings uncover considerable interest in ICT interventions from the community/individuals; however, there are challenges to the long-term acceptance of ICT interventions, such as the socio-cultural issues of gender discrimination and cultural barriers.