BACKGROUND:
Evidence on how COVID-19 responses affected equity in essential services in Bangladesh is limited. We compared service access and barriers across five socioeconomically diverse groups during the pandemic.

METHODS:
We conducted a phenomenological qualitative study (2020 to 2021) using 40 in-depth interviews with health and education service users from five-strata: indigenous tea-garden communities (Moulvibazar), rural-agricultural communities (Sirajganj), coastal communities (Barisal), urban slum dwellers (Dhaka), and urban upper-middle to high-income households (Dhaka). Data were analysed using a framework guided thematic approach applying an equity of access framework across four domains: availability, accessibility, acceptability, and affordability, and comparing continuity of education and care across groups.

RESULTS:
Comparative analysis showed steep equity gradients, with indigenous communities experiencing the highest cumulative barriers across all domains. Availability: tea-garden facilities provided limited services and faced lockdown-related closures, while affluent urban households reported continued access via private facilities and remote modalities, and slum residents reported reliance on NGO services with limited scope. Accessibility: indigenous and coastal-communities reported geographic constraints, weak referral-linkages, and digital exclusion, limiting access to telemedicine and remote education that were commonly used by urban high-income households. Acceptability: language barriers and limited culturally tailored risk communication were most prominent among indigenous respondents, corresponding to the lowest risk perception and preventive practices relative to all other groups. Affordability: high out-of-pocket costs for medicines and transport were major constraints for indigenous participants, contributing to delayed or foregone care. Educational continuity was most disrupted among indigenous and urban slum children, compared with partial continuity in rural and coastal areas and near complete continuity among affluent urban households.

CONCLUSIONS:
An equity-framework based comparison indicates that COVID-19 intensified pre-existing structural inequities, with indigenous communities facing the most heightened barriers. Equity oriented preparedness requires culturally and linguistically adapted communication, strengthened local primary care, and inclusive digital and non-digital delivery strategies.