Digital technology and inclusive development during global crisis: evidence from a randomised experiment in Bangladesh

We investigate the role of digital technology in inclusive development by conducting a randomised control trial (RCT) in Bangladesh. We analyse the mechanisms through which access to content-based digital platforms empower marginalised communities' entrepreneurship and employment and hence contributes to their income and resilience. Based on a sample of 2974 respondents, we found that the treatment group, who received our content-based digital platform usage training, manifested higher income resilience and better employment status during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020–2021. The results are underpinned by sub-group studies, real-usage studies, mechanism validity checks and qualitative analyses. This study contributes to the literature by analysing the impact of digital entrepreneurial support programmes in developing economies and the transmission mechanisms through which they include marginalised communities in economic activities. It also provides the first RCT-based empirical evidence on the developmental impact of content-related digital platform technology that requires low capital investment.