Former Prime Minister and main opposition leader Sheikh Hasina has said that she would declare her wealth and assets and also "expose" the gains made by her rival, Prime Minister Khaleda Zia.
Stepping up her campaign against corruption in public life, Hasina called upon the people to make public the names of incumbent and aspiring lawmakers who, she alleged, were involved in crime and corruption and "have become rich overnight by pocketing development funds," Bangladesh Today quoted her as saying.
Addressing the Jubo League grand rally in the city's Paltan Maidan, the Awami League chief volunteered to disclose her assets as well as those of leading lawmakers of her party.
She said: "I am giving my word, I will give accounts of my own wealth as well as that of my MPs, if you want.
The people who are in power now should do the same. You have the right to know how much money they have earned in the last four-and-a-half years, how much wealth they had before coming in power and how much they have now," the leader of the opposition in parliament told the huge public gathering.
The country's political situation has heated up following the stringent measures taken by the government ahead of two major agitation programmes of the 14-party opposition combine scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday.
{{/usCountry}}The country's political situation has heated up following the stringent measures taken by the government ahead of two major agitation programmes of the 14-party opposition combine scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday.
{{/usCountry}}The government on Monday imposed a 24-hour ban on assembly of people outside the Prime Minister's Office, apparently to thwart the 14-party combine's programme to stage a sit-in Wednesday.
The sit-in programme aimed at pressing home the demand for reform of the caretaker government system and the Election Commission will be followed by a countrywide dawn-to-dusk strike on Thursday.