The government today approved the National Pay Scale 2026, revising the basic salaries of public servants while retaining the existing 20-grade structure. Under the new scale, the minimum starting salary for grade 20 has been set at Tk 20,000 and the maximum salary for grade 1 fixed at Tk 156,000.

The decision, effective from July 1, 2026, was taken at a cabinet meeting that also approved the Joint Services Instructions 2026 for the armed forces in line with the new pay structure. The move followed a review of reports submitted by the National Pay Commission 2025 and the Armed Forces Pay Committee 2025, examined by a committee of secretaries before being placed before the cabinet.

According to the government press release, the new scale was finalized after considering financial capacity, the overall economic situation, inflation, cost of living, and the living standards of public servants. The pay ratio between the lowest and highest grades has been narrowed to 1:1.78 from the existing 1:1.945. Salaries at the lowest grade will rise by 142 percent, while the highest grade will see a 100 percent increase.