The Ministry of Primary and Mass Education of Bangladesh has officially upgraded the pay grade of all government primary school head teachers from the 11th to the 10th grade, granting them gazetted officer status. The new salary scale starts at BDT 16,000 and rises to BDT 38,640, replacing the previous range of BDT 12,500 to BDT 30,230. The gazette notification, signed on December 15 and published on December 23, affects 65,502 head teachers nationwide.

The decision follows a long legal and administrative process, including approval from the Ministry of Public Administration, the Finance Division, and the Administrative Development Secretary Committee. It also complies with a Supreme Court ruling that recognized head teachers as second-class gazetted officers. Untrained head teachers must complete Basic Training for Primary Teachers (BTPT) within 18 months.

The government expects the move to enhance financial security and social recognition for head teachers, motivating them to improve primary education quality. Meanwhile, assistant teachers—currently in the 13th grade—continue to press for an upgrade to the 11th grade, a proposal now under review by the National Pay Commission.