Government approves National Pay Scale 2026

Bangladesh’s government has approved a new public-sector pay scale that will raise the minimum basic salary to Tk 20,000 from July 1, 2026.

The cabinet retained the existing 20-grade structure. Under the revised scale, grade 1 will carry a fixed salary of Tk 156,000. The pay ratio between the lowest and highest grades will narrow to 1:1.78, compared with 1:1.945 under the current system.

The basic salary at the lowest grade will increase by 142 percent, while the fixed salary at the highest grade will rise by 100 percent. The cabinet also approved the Joint Services Instructions 2026 for the armed forces in line with the new structure.

The decision followed reviews by the National Pay Commission 2025 and the Armed Forces Pay Committee 2025. A committee of secretaries examined those reports and prepared recommendations for the cabinet.

A government press release said the final scale reflected the country’s financial capacity, the wider economic situation, inflation, the cost of living and public servants’ living standards.