"We are ready to take all actions and face any situation," Anti-Corruption Commission Chairman and former army chief retired Lieutenant General Hasan Mashhud Chowdhury told reporters when asked if the anti-graft body would take action against Zia and her archrival former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of Awami League if needed.

He, however, declined to say anything "hypothetically" but added that the action against corruption will not end immediately as "we have more time in hand" to launch a massive social campaign against corruption involving common people.

Chowdhury's comments came days after the interim government of Fakhruddin Ahmed constituted a high-powered taskforce comprising senior army and civil officials to "supplement" the independent ACC campaign against corruption.

"Nobody will be spared... we have arrested those who were once believed to be above law," Task Force Coordinator Major General Masududdin Chowdhury told newsmen in a separate briefing after talks with Chowdhury.

In an unbelievable twist of fortune, Zia's elder son Tarique Rahman who wielded immense power until recently was taken into police remand in an extortion case four days ago after his arrest from his mother's home in a late night raid.

Police said they nearly completed formalities to initially charge him with extortion of one crore takas from a construction firm as a joint interrogation cell comprising army, police, elite Rapid Action Battalion and intelligence agencies quizzed him for the past four days.