The government Thursday formed a new Pay Commission for employees and officials who are under the National Pay Scale.
“The Council of Advisers, led by Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus, on Thursday formed a new Pay Commission for employees and officials who are under the National Pay Scale,” said a statement issued by the Chief Adviser’s Press Wing.
Former Finance Secretary Zakir Ahmed Khan will lead the Pay Commission. The Pay Commission will submit their report within six months, the statement read.
Around 15 lakh government officials and employees across the country currently receive their salaries and allowances according to the 2015 pay scale.
With inflation driving up the cost of living, calls for a revised pay structure have grown increasingly urgent, becoming a key topic of national discussion. When the interim government assumed office in August, demands were raised for the introduction of a dearness allowance to cushion the impact of rising prices.
Many had hoped the matter would be addressed in the national budget for the new fiscal year, announced in June. However, no such provision was included.
Instead, Financial Advisor Salehuddin Ahmed unveiled a set of special benefits for government employees as part of the budget, which came into effect on 1 July, in lieu of a dearness allowance.
Under the 2015 pay scale, there are 20 distinct salary grades for government service. A first-class officer entering service through the Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) exam currently receives a basic monthly salary of Tk 22,000. At the top of the scale, a secretary earns Tk 78,000, a senior secretary earns Tk 82,000, while both the cabinet secretary and the principal secretary to the Prime Minister receive Tk 86,000 in basic pay.
In addition to their basic salaries, government employees are entitled to various allowances, including those for housing, medical expenses, and travel. They also receive two festival bonuses each year, along with an additional allowance equivalent to 20 percent of their basic salary on the occasion of the Bengali New Year.
In the 2025–26 fiscal year budget, a total of Tk 848.40 billion has been allocated for the salaries and allowances of government staff—an increase of Tk 17.07 billion compared to the previous fiscal year.
