The government is actively reconsidering the introduction of dearness allowance (DA) for government employees, according to Finance Adviser Dr. Salehuddin Ahmed.

Speaking to the media after a meeting of the Government Procurement Advisory Committee at the Secretariat on Tuesday (May 20), he confirmed that a special committee is examining whether it would be feasible to implement DA for government employees in the upcoming fiscal year (2025-26).

Dr. Salehuddin said, “The matter is under serious consideration. It may take some time, but the possibility remains strong.” He also mentioned that the committee is tasked with determining the amount and the timeline for the disbursement of the allowance.

Earlier, on January 9 of this year, Senior Secretary of the Public Administration Ministry Dr. Mokhlesur Rahman had announced that the government had decided to grant dearness allowance to government employees and that the implementation would happen soon. However, following discussions and criticism in the media, it was later reported that the government had backtracked from the decision, and DA was not being provided at that time.

On January 28, after a meeting of the Government Procurement Advisory Committee, the Finance Adviser had stated that no final decision had been made regarding the allowance. However, the matter is now under active consideration again.

In the same meeting, approval was granted for the expedited import of several key products, including LNG.