This is the first time a senior bureaucrat has made such a move.

The 746 employees of the ACC at present would also make their wealth statement public within the next three weeks, the ACC secretary told the press while disclosing his wealth statement at his office.

The ACC would publicly disclose findings of some of the major inquiries into various allegations of corruption by the end of this month or early next month, he added.

"From the legal and moral point of view, all the government officers and employees should also disclose statements of their wealth, income and expenditure," Delwar said.

Asked whether the ACC would take any step in this regard, he said that the answer would be given after a new chairman and two commissioners are appointed.

Delwar's statement of assets of his and his family members shows that he heads a five-member family and has served the government for 28 years.

He has in his possession a TV, a refrigerator, a computer, an air-conditioner, a washing machine, three beds, 10 chairs and tables and three cupboards. His immovable properties include a 7.5 katha plot allotted to him in Purbachal residential area and a small abandoned village home in Katchua of Chandpur. His earnings constitute government salary, honorarium for professional lectures at various training programmes, savings from travel allowances when visiting foreign countries etc. He holds a credit card with a limit of Tk 2 lakh. He resides in government quarters in Azimpur and does not own any house or car.

The ACC secretary has a savings account with the City Bank Ltd where salary and other cheque transactions worth Tk 30,000 to 40,000 are made every month.

Delwar said that he has taken huge loans from friends and relatives for the education of his three children who study in private universities and college. He hopes to pay back these loans upon his retirement.

"My statement may not be fully flawless -- but I welcome you (the press) to cross-check it and meet me at my Azimpur quarters," he said.

The ACC secretary said that he made this statement of his own volition because he believes this would uphold transparency and accountability in the ACC. "Whether the new chairman and commissioners would do the same would be their own choice to make," he added.

The chairman and two commissioners appointed by the previous alliance government in late 2004, resigned recently following the president's request. The posts are still vacant.

Among the 746 ACC employees, there are many bureaucrats on deputation.

Asked whether these bureaucrats would be able to behave professionally or would be able to override any form of fellow feeling while dealing with corruption of a senior bureaucrat, he said "It's not true that the ACC will not be able to take action against a secretary for his corruption. We will try to prove our neutrality."

If there are corrupt people in the ACC itself, they will not be spared, Delwar added.

Out of the 746 staffs, about 10 percent actually came from the administration on deputation, so that the ACC can utilise their experience, the ACC secretary added.

Asked whether the ACC would investigate the allegation of corruption against the newly appointed election commissioner (EC) retired brigadier general Shakhawat Hossain, Delwar said that it is a sensitive issue as the EC is a constitutional body.

"But if there are explicit evidence of his corruption, we will surely look into the matter," he said.