Bill seeks to stop journalist harassment

A bill was placed in parliament yesterday for dropping the provision from the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1989 that allows courts to issue arrest warrants against editors, publishers, reporters or writers in defamation cases.
Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Shafique Ahmed placed the bill, according to which, courts will issue summons instead of arrest warrants in such cases.
"It will help put an end to harassment of journalists, editors, writers and publishers," the law minister said in justification of bringing the amendment to the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1989.
The bill was sent to the parliamentary standing committee on the law, justice and parliamentary affairs ministry for scrutiny. It was asked to submit report in two weeks.
The parliament earlier resumed sitting after a six-day recess without participation of the main opposition lawmakers.
The House held a discussion on a thanks-giving motion on the president's address.
Chief Whip of Treasury Bench Abdus Shahid placed the motion and Whip ASM Feroz seconded it.
President Zillur Rahman on January 4 addressed the inaugural sitting of the fourth session.
The parliamentarians at the discussion urged the lawmakers of the main opposition BNP to return to the House.
They also appreciated the government's performance in the last one year. The lawmakers also mentioned various problems in their localities and urged the ministers concerned to address them.
Awami League lawmaker Kamal Ahmed Majumder pointed out the ongoing gas crisis in different parts of the capital and called upon the authorities concerned to take measures to solve it.