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The Bangladesh Government Officers and Employees Welfare Association has expressed concern that the proposed minimum salary under the 9th National Pay Scale could be reduced.
In a statement issued on Saturday (August 15), signed by the association’s President Abdul Malek and Secretary General Ashiqul Islam, the organization warned that it would not accept any cut to the Tk 20,000 minimum salary recommended by the Secretariat Committee.
The association called for the minimum salary to be increased further in line with market prices and urged the government to issue the pay-scale gazette without delay.
According to information published in various media outlets, the Secretariat Committee has reportedly recommended a 100 percent salary increase for employees in the lower grades. Based on the current basic salary of Tk 8,250, a 100 percent increase would raise it to Tk 16,500. The association said this recommendation has caused widespread anger and frustration among government employees.
The organization argued that previous pay scales had implemented salary increases of 140 percent or more for employees in grades 10 to 20. Compared with those adjustments, the current proposal is inadequate, it said.
The association noted that the 9th Pay Scale is being introduced after 11 years, following prolonged movements and demands by government employees. During this period, however, the prices of essential goods have risen sharply. As a result, lower-grade employees are struggling to cope with the current cost of living.
The association also said that employees were supposed to receive two pay scales in 2020 and 2025, but neither has been implemented. At consultation meetings of the National Pay Commission 2025, employees highlighted the mismatch between their income and the rising cost of living and demanded that the two proposed pay scales be combined to set the minimum salary at Tk 35,000.
Instead, the recommended minimum salary has been set at Tk 20,000, which is significantly lower than their demand. Meanwhile, although the highest salary was initially proposed at Tk 140,000 under a 1:4 ratio, the recommendation has reportedly been raised to Tk 160,000. The association said this would create another layer of disparity.
Expressing concern, the association warned that if the committee further reduces the proposed minimum salary of Tk 20,000, there will be no balance between salary increases under the 9th Pay Scale and the current cost of living. Lower-grade employees would suffer severely, while frustration, hardship and unrest among government workers could increase.
On behalf of government employees, the association urged the Secretariat Committee and the Cabinet to increase the proposed minimum salary of Tk 20,000 further.
It also called for a new pay structure aligned with market prices and urged the government to publish the official gazette as soon as possible.