NOAB hails govt decision to amend CrPC provision

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FE Report
The Newspapers Owners' Association of Bangladesh (NOAB) Wednesday welcomed the government decision to amend the code of criminal procedure to do away with the provision of issuance of warrants of arrest against journalists, editors, publishers, poets and writers for libelous or defamatory writings and replace it with the issuance of summons.
"NOAB considers the decision to amend section 500, 501 and 502 of the CrPC as a step in the right direction, which will contribute to strengthening democracy and promoting freedom of express and freedom of the press, NOAB President Mahbubul Alam said in a statement.
NOAB thanked Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her cabinet colleagues for the decision to meet its long-outstanding demand to drop the harmful provisions of the CrPC which were often used as tools to punish newspapers for publishing stories and comments that they perceived to be against the interests of the certain vested quarters.