"We will go for tougher agitation if the government fails to resolve the inadequacy and disparity in the new scale," Bagsap President Sultan Alam Mallik told the conference held at the National Press Club in the city.

While pointing out 'discriminatory arrangements' in the new scale, Bagsap Secretary General Md Nasir Uddin said difference among the grades in lower tier is very minimum, but the same is several thousand taka in the upper grades.

There is provision for higher pay scale on the selection grade for the 1st and 2nd class officers, but there is no such provisions for the 3rd and 4rth class employees, he said, adding that the rate of annual increment for the 1st and 2nd class officers is also much higher than that of the 3rd and 4rth class employees.

Nasir further pointed out that the government does not follow the policy of equal wage for same kind of job giving examples that section assistants at the secretariat can enjoy higher status as administrative officers and stenos as personal officers.

He said polytechnic diploma holders are considered as 2nd class employees whereas agriculture diploma holders are treated as 3rd class employees. Similarly, a customs inspector enjoys 2nd class position, whereas an income tax inspector has 3rd class status.

The Bagsap leaders also called upon the government to make the Trading Company of Bangladesh (TCB) effectively functional to save the lower income consumers from market manipulation by unscrupulous business syndicate.

Bagsap leaders Abdur Rouf Sharif, SM Hasan, Md Abdul Momin Sheikh, Ruhul Amin Chowdhury and Md Alauddin were present at the press conference.