Pay Commission to Submit Recommendations Today: What to Expect

The National Pay Commission is set to hold its final high-level meeting today, Wednesday (January 21), to conclude the recommendations for the 9th National Pay Scale. The full commission will meet at 12:00 PM in the conference room of the Cabinet Division’s old building at the Secretariat. Following the review, the final report is scheduled to be handed over to the Chief Adviser at 5:00 PM today.

Commission Chairman Zakir Ahmed Khan, a former Finance Secretary, will lead the delegation to the State Guest House, Jamuna, to submit the report in the presence of Finance Adviser Dr. Salehuddin Ahmed. The Adviser confirmed the schedule to reporters at the Secretariat on Tuesday.

Phased Implementation from January 2026

Sources close to the commission revealed to The Daily Campus that the new pay scale is expected to be implemented in two phases.

• Partial Implementation: Retroactive from January 1, 2026.

• Full Implementation: From the start of the 2026-27 fiscal year, beginning July 1, 2026.

Bridging the Pay Gap

The new structure aims to maintain a 1:8 ratio between the highest and lowest salary grades. Significant hikes are expected for lower-tier employees to mitigate inflation.

• Lowest Grade: Currently at Tk 8,250, the minimum basic pay is expected to more than double.

• Highest Grade: Currently set at Tk 78,000, the maximum pay is projected to exceed Tk 1,20,000.

Financial Implications

The government has already increased operating expenditure by Tk 22,000 crore in the revised budget for the 2025-26 fiscal year to facilitate the partial rollout. However, a full implementation of the commission’s recommendations will require an additional Tk 70,000 to Tk 80,000 crore.

Finance Adviser Dr. Salehuddin Ahmed noted that while the commission has suggested substantial increases for lower-grade employees, the government may not adopt every recommendation verbatim. "We hope the proposal prepared by the interim government will satisfy the 1.5 million government employees currently serving under the outdated 2015 pay scale," he stated.

Confidentiality Maintained

A member of the commission told The Daily Campus that strict confidentiality is being maintained regarding the final draft. "No member will retain a copy of the recommendations; only the Chief Adviser will hold the primary report. Additional copies may be printed later during the Advisory Council meetings," the member added.

The 21-member commission was formed on July 27 last year with a six-month mandate to modernize the salary structure for the country's public servants.