It will ask them to come up with wealth statements within seven days of receipt. The decision was taken at a meeting yesterday.

A list containing the names will be unveiled today. It includes a host of former ministers and top public servants, said a source close to those working on the matter.

Six BNP and five Awami League (AL) men figure in the list. Khandakar Mosharraf Hossain, Anwar Hossain Manju, Shahjahan Siraj, Obaidul Quader, Syed Abul Hossain, and Ziaul Haq Zia are among the former ministers and state ministers listed as graft suspects.

Besides, four ex-lawmakers--AL's Sheikh Helal (Sheikh Hasina's cousin), Kamal Ahmed Majumder, Habibur Rahman Mollah and the BNP's MAH Selim alias Silver Selim--and BNP-backed ward commissioner and film actor Monwar Hossain Dipjol will be served the notice.

Of the civil servants and professionals, ex-chief engineer of Public Works AFM Monjurul Islam, former chief forest conservator Munshi Anwarul Islam, ex-additional inspector general of police Shahidullah Khan, Public Service Commission member Prof Mahfuzur Rahman, and General Secretary of Bangladesh Medical Association (BMA) and a pro-BNP doctors' leader AZM Zahid Hossain, will be asked to declare their assets.

Three businessmen--Obaedul Karim of Orion Group, AK Azad of Hamim Group and Editor and Publisher of the Daily Janakantha Atiqullah Khan Masud--too will be asked to turn in wealth statements.

Shamim Iskandar used to be a technical officer at the state-run Bangladesh Biman. He had emigrated to Canada with his family in January. Later, when he returned to Dhaka to submit his resignation, he could not leave the country.

After yesterday's meeting, ACC Chairman Hasan Mashhud Chowdhury told reporters, "The notices will be served as soon as possible. We have completed all formalities to that end. The recipients will be given seven days to produce wealth statement."

Without disclosing the names, he said, "The ACC believes the source of wealth of these people is not honest. If they can prove otherwise, there will be no action against them. But we will sue them if we have enough proof that they are dishonest."

The ACC sources said the list was drawn up on the basis of a preliminary investigation that gave the commission reasons to believe that the 21 individuals have amassed quite a fortune through illegal means.

Various taskforces under the national coordination committee to combat corruption and crime submitted findings of their inquiries to the ACC on April 20.

The ones on the new list will have to submit their statements to ACC Secretary Delwar Hossain. Unlike the last time, the ACC will not require them to hand in the statements in person. "The ACC rules do not oblige one to do so," said a source.

Earlier on February 18, the anti-graft body asked 50 graft suspects to give their wealth statements in to it within 72 hours. The names came from 420 people primarily listed as graft suspects in February.

Citing the ACC as a source, different national dailies published a second list of 50 corruption suspects on March 8. The latest 21 names derive from there.

Mashhud observed, "The list will expand further. Don't think this is the end."

The commission has filed at least two dozen cases against the first 50 graft suspects. "They will submit charge sheets in six to seven cases within May 31."

The cases set to see charge sheets include those against former BNP minister Nazmul Huda, ex-BNP lawmaker Wadud Bhuiyan, Awami Swechhashebak League leader Pankaj Debnath, and trade union leader Firoze Mia, said sources.

Meanwhile, the ACC has approved a plan to appoint 31 senior lawyers to represent it at the courts in the long term. "If they agree, the commission will soon finalise their appointments. If any of them stand against the ACC in any case, his or her name will be dropped from our panel," said the head of the anti-graft body.

The commission has so far won three cases against Harris Chowdhury of the BNP, and Shamim Osman and Joynal Hazari of the AL. The three were tried in absentia.

The ACC has decided to reward the officials involved with those cases.