Systematic Review of Digital Transformation in Maritime Governance in Developing Nations: The Case of Bangladesh

Digitalisation has become a defining lever of efficiency and sustainability in maritime governance, yet its diffusion remains uneven across the Global South. This systematic review examines the current state of knowledge on maritime digital transformation in developing contexts, using Bangladesh as an illustrative lens. Comprehensive searches of Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar yielded 97 peer-reviewed articles that met PRISMA-2020 eligibility criteria; methodological rigour was appraised with the Joanna Briggs Institute critical-review instruments, and thematic patterns were inductively coded in NVivo. The analysis reveals four key interlocking barrier domains: institutional path-dependency, deficient ICT infrastructure, cybersecurity vulnerabilities, and socio-political/governance constraints that collectively hinder the sector‘s modernisation. Conversely, the literature identifies a nascent enabling environment characterised by expanding national e-governance programmes, incremental improvements in digital connectivity, rising digital literacy, and an emergent regulatory scaffold. Drawing on best practices from digitally advanced countries, this study proposes strategies to guide a sustainable and resilient digital transition aligned with Bangladesh‘s vision agenda and UN Sustainable Development Goals, offering a transferable template for other developing maritime nations pursuing resilient and inclusive digital transitions