The ACC asked them to come up with wealth statements within seven days of receipt.

When the ACC published its first corruption suspect list of 50 people in February, it made it mandatory for those on the list and not in jail to submit their wealth statement in person. This time, however, there is no such obligation.

In February when some top graft suspects went to the ACC Segunbagicha head office to submit their wealth statements, the joint forces arrested them after submission of their statement.

ACC sources said after completion of all procedures they served notices yesterday afternoon.

Six BNP and five Awami League (AL) leaders are on the list. Khandaker 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-MPs--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 also be served with the notice.

Of the civil servants and professionals, ex-chief engineer of Public Works Department 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 also be asked to declare their assets.

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

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

ACC on Sunday in its meeting decided to serve notices on the 21 top graft suspects. On that day, ACC Chairman Hasan Mashhud Chowdhury 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 evidence that they are dishonest."

ACC sources said the list was made based on preliminary investigations 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.

On February 18, the anti-graft body asked 50 graft suspects to submit their wealth statements within 72 hours. The names came from 420 people who were primarily listed as graft suspects in February.

National dailies published a second list of 50 graft suspects on March 8. The latest 21 names derive from there.

The ACC chairman said on Sunday, "The list will expand further. Don't think this is the end."