A Supreme Court lawyer today served a legal notice on the authorities concerned to take steps in 24 hours to scrap a provision that curtailed the Anti-Corruption Commission’s authority to file graft charges against the government officials on its own.

Eunus Ali Akond sent the notice to the secretaries of the law ministry, cabinet division, prime minister’s office and the ACC and the speaker of Jatiya Sangsad, saying that the amended provision of the Anti-Corruption Commission Act, 2004 is contrary to the constitution of the country.

According to the constitution, all citizens are equal to the law and are entitled to get equal protection of law, but the government has made discrimination through bringing amendment to the ACC law, he said.

The ACC is an independent body which is not supposed to require the government permission to file any corruption case against any body, Akond added.

If the respondents don’t take steps in 24 hours, a writ petition will be filed with the High Court challenging the legality of the provision, he told The Daily Star.

The Jatiya Sangsad on November 10 passed a bill on the amendment to the ACC law to introduce the controversial provision.

President Abdul Hamid on November 20 signed the bill which means from now on, the ACC will require the government permission to file corruption cases against the public officials.