Govt employees set for salary, allowance rise

The timeline for implementing the long-awaited new pay scale for government employees is nearing finalisation, with the Pay Commission set to submit its report to the chief adviser today.

According to sources at the Pay Commission and the Ministry of Finance, the proposal recommends partial implementation from 1 January 2026, followed by full implementation from 1 July 2026, the start of the 2026–27 fiscal year.

The proposed pay structure focuses on improving the standard of living of lower-grade officials and staff. Under the recommendations, the current minimum basic salary of Tk8,250 is expected to more than double to Tk18,000. At the upper end, the maximum basic salary is proposed to rise from Tk78,000 to over Tk120,000.
To reduce wage disparity, the commission has recommended maintaining a salary ratio of 1:8 between the highest and lowest pay grades.

Full implementation of the revised pay structure would require an additional Tk70,000–80,000 crore annually. To meet the increased expenditure, an extra Tk22,000 crore has already been allocated for operational costs in the revised budget of the current fiscal year.

Meanwhile, under the ninth pay scale, the Pay Commission is set to recommend an increase in medical allowances for government employees from Tk3,500 to Tk5,000. The recommendations are scheduled to be submitted to the Chief Adviser’s Office next Wednesday.

A source at the Pay Commission said on Monday that the proposed pay structure includes two tiers of medical allowance. Employees aged 40 and below would receive a monthly allowance of Tk4,000, while those above 40 would be entitled to Tk5,000.

In addition, the National Pay Commission is preparing to significantly increase the Bengali New Year allowance to make Pahela Boishakh celebrations more festive for government employees. Under the ninth pay scale, the final recommendation is to raise the allowance from the current 20% of basic pay to 50%.

The commission will submit its final report on these matters to the chief adviser on Wednesday. 

Currently, government employees receive a Boishakhi allowance equivalent to 20% of their basic salary; the new proposal would increase this to half of the basic salary.

A member of the Pay Commission said that despite the proposed increase in the Boishakhi allowance, bonuses for Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Azha will remain unchanged under the existing system.