DHAKA, May 31 (Reuters) - Bangladesh's army-backed interim government said on Thursday around a dozen prominent politicians and business figures arrested this week would be prosecuted on corruption charges.

In a fresh crackdown on graft, police detained the likes of Awami League party General Secretary Abdul Jalil, and former ministers of both the governments of former prime ministers Begum Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina.

"They were arrested on specific corruption charges," said M.A. Matin, adviser to the interim government and chief of the national task force against corruption.

"The corrupt leaders will be prosecuted after investigation," Matin told reporters in the government's first official comments about the sweep on Monday and Tuesday.

Since January, more than 170 people, including former ministers of the governments of Hasina and Khaleda, have been detained. The authorities have also launched a speedy trial process to prosecute detained politicians and officials.

The interim government says it will hold an election, originally slated for January this year, only after reforming the country's political system and purging corruption. It has vowed to hold a new vote before the end of 2008.

The interim government headed by former central bank governor Fakhruddin Ahmed took charge on Jan. 11 after imposing a state of emergency following deadly political violence.

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