Ninth pay scale gazette draft sent for legal vetting

The draft gazette for the long-awaited ninth national pay scale has been sent to the Law Ministry for legal vetting, marking a major step towards issuing the new salary structure for government employees. Sources said the vetting process was nearly complete, with the remaining formalities expected to be completed soon so that the gazette can be issued.

A Finance Ministry source said most of the legal vetting had already been completed, while efforts were underway to finish the remaining work by Thursday afternoon. A senior Finance Ministry official, speaking to The Daily Campus on condition of anonymity, said:

“The gazette for the ninth national pay scale may be issued today. Work on issuing the gazette is underway.”

The government announced the new pay structure on August 31, with the Cabinet Secretary saying it would be issued as a gazette within a week. However, nearly two weeks have passed without the gazette being published.

Finance Division officials have said there is no reason for government employees to be disappointed and that they could receive positive news on the gazette soon.

How much will salaries increase?

The new pay structure, introduced more than a decade after the previous one, provides salary increases of up to 142 percent for government employees.  Basic salaries for employees from the first to 11th grades have been doubled, representing a 100 percent increase. Employees in the 20th grade will receive an increase of up to 142 percent.

Under the new structure, the minimum basic salary has been set at Tk 20,000, while the maximum basic salary for first-grade officials will be Tk 156,000. The government plans to implement the new pay scale in three phases. It will take effect from July 1, 2026, meaning employees will receive the benefits based on the new structure from July.

Around 24 lakh government employees are expected to receive the revised salaries and allowances, which will cost the government an additional Tk 1.05 lakh crore annually.

How the new pay scale was developed

The interim government formed the National Pay Commission, 2025, under former Finance Secretary Zakir Ahmed Khan. The commission submitted its report to the government on January 22, recommending salary and allowance increases ranging from 100 to 140 percent.

The commission proposed raising the minimum basic salary from Tk 8,250 to Tk 20,000 and the maximum from Tk 78,000 to Tk 1.60 lakh.

It also recommended increasing the Boishakhi allowance from 20 percent to 50 percent and introducing significant changes to transport allowances for employees from the 10th to 20th grades.

After the BNP government took office, a 10-member committee headed by Cabinet Secretary Nasimul Gani was formed on April 21 to review the pay structure. The government later approved the new salary structure based on the committee’s recommendations.