Google Alert – BD Army
The committee was officially formed through a gazette notification issued by Armed Forces Division on Thursday, with Lieutenant General Md. Faizur Rahman appointed as the chairman.
According to the gazette, the Chief Adviser has given his approval for forming the committee, which will work exclusively on the pay structure for uniformed members of the armed forces, excluding civilian officers and staff.
The committee has been asked to coordinate closely with National Pay Commission 2025, which was earlier formed by Ministry of Finance on July 27 under the leadership of former finance secretary Zakir Ahmed Khan, to determine the salary structure for civilian government employees.
The Armed Forces Pay Committee has been instructed to submit its recommendations in the form of 25 printed copies to Armed Forces Division by October 31 this year.
Apart from the chairman, the committee includes senior representatives from all three forces and relevant departments. These include Major General Md. Nasim Parvez, Rear Admiral Md. Zahir Uddin, Air Vice Marshal Rusad Din Asad, Brigadier General Aung Cha Cha Mong, Air Commodore Jamil Uddin Ahmed, Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Defence Milia Sharmin, and Captain Md. Touhid Sagar. Brigadier General Nishadul Islam Khan has been appointed as member secretary of the committee.
The committee has been tasked with reviewing the current pay, allowances, pensions and family pensions of members of the armed forces, including MODC personnel and religious counsellors. Based on this assessment, it will propose a modern and appropriate pay structure that reflects the needs and realities of service life in 2025.
It will also look into specialized salary structures for military personnel, tax obligations related to salary payments and non-salary benefits such as housing rent, medical coverage, transportation, hospitality, deputation allowances, responsibility pay, hardship, festival and recreation allowances.
The committee is further instructed to recommend mechanisms for adjusting salaries in line with inflation, restructuring retirement benefits and pensions and developing performance-based evaluation systems that can be reflected in the salary framework.
It will also review the financial monetization of service-related benefits like telephone, vehicle and mobile phone use and rationalize the ration distribution system.
In addition, the committee has been asked to resolve any existing inconsistencies in salary grading and to eliminate any disparities in pay and benefits across the different branches of the armed forces.
The committee will assess appropriate designations and job classifications for long-serving personnel, determine criteria for grouping officers by category and evaluate the importance of training and experience in promotion processes.
The government has instructed the committee to consider the cost of living for a household of up to six members, including parents of the service member and factor in education and healthcare costs for up to two children.
Broader economic factors such as national growth, government resource availability, security and administrative requirements, agency income and expenditure and poverty alleviation strategies must also be taken into account.
The committee has been urged to recognize the vital role of attracting and retaining talented and skilled officers and to appreciate the historical legacy and image of the armed forces. It must consider the sacrifices made by service members, including their separation from families, early retirement due to physically demanding duties, constant readiness and the risks involved in both peace and wartime operations.
The committee will operate based on its own methods and procedures. It will have the authority to request information from any government body and may seek assistance from any organization or individual.
It may also form separate sub-committees for the Army, Navy and Air Force to facilitate the preparation of service-specific recommendations. If necessary, the committee can bring in additional members from the armed forces to support its work.
The formation of this committee marks a significant step in ensuring that the compensation structure for the country’s military personnel is both fair and reflective of their service, responsibilities and sacrifices.
SH