DHAKA - BANGLADESH'S army-backed rulers will hand over power to an elected government on December 31 after holding national polls, a report said on Saturday.

The interim government, which came to power in January 2007, will hold a general election on December 18 and local government polls on December 24 before transferring power to a civilian government, said Law Minister Hassan Ariff.

'The tenure of this government will come to an end on December 31,' the private Bdnews24.Com news agency quoted Mr Hassan Ariff as saying.

It was the first time a minister has clearly spelled out the dates for transferring power to an elected government.

The emergency administration had earlier said a democratically elected government would take over in early 2009, but did not specify a handover date.

Bangladesh has been under emergency rule since January 11, 2007 when weeks of political turmoil led the country's powerful military to intervene and set up a caretaker government.

Since then, the government led by a former central bank chief has embarked on a major effort to clean up Bangladesh's notoriously dysfunctional political system.

Hundreds of top political figures including two ex-premiers were arrested and prosecuted as part of a nationwide anti-corruption crackdown.

But since June, the government has freed two ex-premiers and a number of political leaders on bail as part of efforts to ensure participation of the country's two main political parties in December polls. -- AFP

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