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Otherness sees the world as divided into mutually excluding opposites. It is built through subjective perceptions and cultural practices in society on which, human beings are remade and separated from each other always based on their own experiences. This was a cross-sectional study, applied a qualitative approach to explore how cultural otherness was produced and practiced within the Harijan community. The studied population live in a separate geographical location due to their traditional occupation. Their accommodation and occupation made them others in the society. They have limited access to public places, shops and restaurants, barbershops, playgrounds, movie theatres, burial grounds, social gatherings, temples, music concerts and cultural events. This subordinated social position has also made them others within their sociocultural context. The identity of the Harijan as 'others' has been categorised and identified through the existing sociocultural context they live in. This identity is being perpetuated from one generation to another.

Throughout South Asia a proliferation of cities and middle-sized towns is occurring. While larger cities tend to receive greater attention in terms national level investments, opportunities for healthy urban development abound in smaller cities, and at a moment where positive trajectories can be established. In Bangladesh, municipalities are growing in size and tripled in number especially district capitals. However, little is known about the configuration of health services to hold these systems accountable to public health goals of equity, quality, and affordability. This descriptive quantitative study uses data from a GIS-based census and survey of health facilities to identify gaps and inequities in services that need to be addressed. Findings reveal a massive private sector and a worrisome lack of primary and some critical care services. The study also reveals the value of engaging municipal-level decision makers in mapping activities and analyses to enable responsive and efficient healthcare planning.

INTRODUCTION: To improve human resources for health (HRH) management in Bangladesh, the directorate general of health services (DGHS) introduced a new information and communications technology (ICT) tool, named 'human resources information system (HRIS)', to process real-time HRH data of all facilities under the DGHS. However, synchronisation is a major concern since multiple authorities are involved in the implementation of the tool at different tiers of the health system. Introducing ICT tools in healthcare organisations has always proved challenging as evidence from low-income and middle-income countries suggests. The knowledge gap in terms of factors that support or constrain the successful implementation of the HRIS in Bangladesh will be investigated in this exploratory study to identify ways of engaging the key stakeholders in a better way for an effective use of the tool. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: Desk review and qualitative data collection methods will be used to address the study objectives. Key informant interviews and in-depth interviews will be conducted to explore perspectives of policy-makers, programme managers, service providers and other stakeholders to understand the barriers to implementing HRIS in the context of Bangladesh. We plan to organise stakeholder consultation workshops to validate the qualitative study findings and to seek suggestions for ensuring a successful implementation of the HRIS. Framework analysis will be applied to analyse qualitative data, and an outline with the definitions of a priori codes guided by the policy engagement framework will be prepared. Besides, emerging themes will also be identified. A data display matrix will be prepared to summarise and interpret the findings for policy review. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The research review committee and the ethical review committee of icddr, b have approved the research protocol. Findings from the study will be communicated through national and international forums, conferences, policy briefs and peer-reviewed journal ...

INTRODUCTION: In Bangladesh, to address the challenges of ensuring adequate human resources for health (HRH), the government began implementing a digital tool for HRH management in 2017. However, evidence suggests institutionalizing such tools in low-and-middle-income countries is impeded by policy aspects like implementation strategy and poor regulatory framework. Therefore, we aimed to explore factors in the current policy landscape that might facilitate and challenge the implementation of the tool in Bangladesh. METHODS: We conducted a review of policies related to ICT implementation and human resources management in the health sector in Bangladesh using qualitative content analysis method. Ten policies have been identified, and extensive reading was done to ascertain common themes and patterns. A document analysis matrix was developed to synthesize and help interpret the findings. RESULTS: Regarding facilitators, strong upstream level commitments were reflected in the content of policies in terms of setting out specific objectives, targets, timelines, and budget allocation. However, the lack of explicit monitoring strategy and extent of stakeholders' engagement was not well-defined, ultimately creating chances for impeding downstream implementation. In addition, effective coordination among stakeholders and different HRH and ICT policies could be strengthened. DISCUSSION: Findings support the current discourse that national commitment plays a vital role in the integration of ICTs in health services. However, well-defined monitoring strategy and inter-ministry and intra-ministry policy coordination are crucial. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12913-021-07304-4.