Parity restored as chiefs of three armed forces come under uniform pay package

The government has introduced a new pay scale for the armed forces employees in line with the civil servants, bringing the chiefs of the three services under a uniform pay scale.

A regular Cabinet meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, on Monday approved the eight national pay scale.

It fixed basic pay at a maximum of Tk 78,000 and a minimum of Tk 8,250 for government employees.

The pay scale of the defence employees has also been introduced in a new 20-grade structure.

Basic pay of a four-star General, who is in the highest grade, now will be Tk 86,000 while an office assistant in the lowest grade will get Tk 8,250, which is an across-the-grade hike ranging from 91 to 101 percent.

Other allowances including housing and facilities applicable for armed forces will be added to this.

Under the Seventh Pay Scale, the defence employees, along with civil servants, had been getting a minimum basic of Tk 4,100 and a maximum of Tk 40,000, but they had bigger basket of allowances.

Cabinet Secretary Muhammad Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan said the government had decided similar ranks and salaries for the chiefs of the three services – Army, Navy and Air Force.

The army chief’s pay has been defined until now, but the air force and navy chief used to get the scale of a Lieutenant General.

The prime minister had said the ranks of the air and naval chief would be upgraded, said Bhuiyan. “So they will now get a basic salary of Tk 86,000.”

In other words, their salary will match that of the Cabinet secretary, who is known as the ‘number one civilian’, and the prime minister’s principal secretary under the new pay scale.

The basic pay of those of the rank of Lieutenant General would be Tk 82,000, which is the same as that of senior secretaries. The earlier basic was Tk 42,000.

The chief of Bangladesh Police also gets the same basic pay.

Those of the rank of Major Generals or similar ranks in the other two forces will have a basic of Tk 78,000, hiked from the current Tk 40,000, which is the same as that of secretaries.

The Cabinet Secretary said the revision had been made to bring about parity between the salaries of civilian and defence staff.

A newly commissioned Second Lieutenant’s basic pay will now be Tk 22,000, up from Tk 11,000. An officer who joins government service by clearing the BCS examinations will also get the same basic.

In the new pay scale, defence employees who are not combatants will have a minimum basic of Tk 8,250, and combatants Tk 8,500.

The Cabinet approved the new pay scale for the defence employees after evaluating the recommendations made by the Armed Forces Pay Committee.

The other aspects of defence pay scales was finalised by the defence ministry, the Finance Division said but did not give any details.