Ninth Pay Scale Gazette Expected to Be Published Soon

The process of issuing the gazette notification for the much-anticipated Ninth National Pay Scale 2026 for government employees is nearing completion, with the resolution now undergoing vetting at the Law Ministry.

The resolution for the notification has already been sent from the Bangladesh Government Press to the Finance Ministry and subsequently forwarded to the Law Ministry for legal vetting. Once the vetting is completed, the gazette will be issued formally with an SRO number.

A senior Finance Ministry official involved in the pay-scale process said the resolution was sent to the Bangladesh Government Press on September 2. After the printing-related process was completed, it returned to the Finance Ministry and was then sent to the Law Ministry for vetting.

The official said the government does not want to delay publication of the gazette and that the time being taken is largely due to procedural requirements. The gazette is expected to be issued soon if the remaining formalities are completed without further complications.

The Cabinet approved the Ninth National Pay Scale 2026 on August 31, with the new salary structure made effective from July 1, 2026. The new pay scale retains the existing 20 grades but substantially revises the basic salaries across the grades.

Under the new structure, the minimum basic salary for Grade 20 will rise from Tk 8,250 to Tk 20,000, an increase of about 142%. The basic salary for Grade 1 will double from Tk 78,000 to Tk 1,56,000.

The revised structure gives relatively higher percentage increases to lower-grade employees, reflecting concerns over the erosion of their real incomes amid prolonged inflation.

The increased basic salaries will be implemented in three phases. For Grades 10 to 20, 50% of the additional amount will be added in the first phase, followed by 25% in the second phase and the remaining 25% in the third phase.

For Grades 1 to 9, 40% of the additional amount will be implemented in the first phase, 30% in the second and the remaining 30% in the third.

For example, the Grade 20 basic salary will rise from Tk 8,250 to Tk 20,000. Of the additional Tk 11,750, the first phase will add Tk 5,875, bringing the basic salary to Tk 14,125. The remaining amount will be added in the next two phases.

Similarly, for Grade 1, the basic salary will rise from Tk 78,000 to Tk 1,56,000. The first phase will add Tk 31,200, followed by Tk 23,400 in each of the next two phases.

According to the implementation plan, the revised basic salaries will be introduced in three phases between July 1, 2026 and July 1, 2027. Various allowances are scheduled to take effect simultaneously from January 1, 2028.

The new pay structure is expected to benefit millions of government employees and pensioners. However, its full implementation will increase the government's expenditure at a time when revenue collection remains under pressure and the broader economy faces several challenges.

Economists have also warned that a substantial increase in government employees' salaries could widen the income gap between the public and private sectors. While higher salaries could increase purchasing power and boost money circulation, inadequate growth in the supply of goods and services could add to inflationary pressures.

At the same time, experts acknowledge the need to compensate government employees for the erosion of their real incomes over the years. They have stressed the importance of broader policy measures to ensure that workers in the private and informal sectors are also able to cope with rising living costs.