DHAKA — The central committee of the Bangladesh Government Officers and Employees Welfare Association has announced a central representatives’ rally and discussion in Dhaka to demand a gazette notification for swift implementation of the ninth pay scale for government employees ahead of the upcoming national budget.
According to information from various sources, the committee reconstituted to frame the recommendations of the three pay commission reports has recommended a phased rollout of the ninth pay scale. The recommendation could take effect from July 1, the finance ministry has said.
Abdul Malek, convener of the welfare association, announced the rally and discussion in a news release on Saturday, May 2.
The release said representative rallies will be held in various districts throughout May as part of a peaceful and democratic program to draw the government’s attention to a long-standing demand of public servants.
The committee said representative rallies and discussions will be held in Patuakhali on May 8 and in Khulna on May 9.
A central representatives’ rally and discussion will also be held at the National Press Club in Dhaka on May 16.
The association’s leaders said two pay scales should have taken effect over the last 11 years but government employees have not yet received a new one. With prices rising, lower-grade staff are in severe financial distress, they said. Most employees are burdened by loans, and after monthly loan repayments, the remaining salary can run a household for no more than 10 to 15 days, forcing many to take on new debt, they said.
The association said unrest and resentment could grow among government employees if the upcoming 2026-27 budget does not include an allocation for the ninth pay scale. While 22 lakh (2.2 million) public servants play an important role in the country’s development, no effective steps have been taken to improve their living standards, they said. They said they expect the government to provide the necessary allocation in the budget and bring a smile to the 22 lakh employee families.
Various sources said the committee reconstituted to frame the three pay commission recommendations has recommended a phased implementation of the ninth pay scale.
The committee’s recommendation could take effect from July 1, the finance ministry said.
The committee, set up to restructure the pay framework of civil servants to reflect the cost of living and inflation, has submitted its recommendations, sources said. The recommendations note that the ninth pay scale could be rolled out in several phases to manage the fiscal pressure. The first phase — a rise in basic pay — is likely to take effect from July.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report