Bangladesh's caretaker government on Sunday announced names of 50 corrupt political leaders, former ministers, lawmakers, top business leaders, trade union leaders and bureaucrats, and served notices Sunday evening to submit account of their property within 72 hours.

In case of failure to do that, the government will confiscate their property in line with the new law announced last week, private television Ntv reported Sunday.

The Anti-corruption Commission (ACC), the independent body for acting against corruption, which was made crippled for three years by the immediate past government led by Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)made the announcement of 50 corrupt politicians and lawmakers.

The announcement said the ACC will serve notices to these listed people by Sunday evening to submit account of their property within 72 hours, failing which the ACC will confiscate their property for the time being.

"The listed person will have to submit accounts of property by their family men or they can do it personally," ACC Secretary Mohammad Delwar Hossain, who declared his assets after joining the commission last week, told newsmen.

The current caretaker government, which took office on Jan.12, has launched a crusade against corruption and made a tougher law under emergency on Feb. 13 which bars corrupt persons to contest all elections, including parliamentary election.

The caretaker government also activated the ACC after doing reforms dropping head of ACC and two commissioners last week. Many of the political leaders, former ministers and lawmakers, whose names were announced Sunday, were arrested and they were now in jail.

Many others have gone into hiding. Delwar Hossain said after investigation cases will be filed against them and trial of their cases will start within 45 days.

According to Bangladeshi constitution, a caretaker government supervises the country's general elections. The former ruling BNP- led four-party government ended its five-year tenure on Oct. 27 2006 and handed over power to caretaker government headed by President Iajuddin Ahmed.

As the two major parties, BNP and Awami League couldn't make consensus on a series of problems, the political crisis deteriorated in the country. Under this situation, President Ahmed had to declare state of emergency and resigned from the post of chief advisor on Jan. 11 and former central bank governor Fakhruddin Ahmed swore in as the new chief advisor of caretaker government on Jan. 12.

Source: Xinhua