The 38th prosecution witness in Bangabandhu Murder Case yesterday described how army troops captured the radio station on August 15 morning and forced Betar officials at gun point to broadcast the news of President Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's killing, reports UNB.

Pronob Chandra Roy also said the army personnel during the pre-dawn operation at Shahbagh radio centre disarmed police and Rakkhi Bahini guards and Major Dalim compelled the officials of Kalyanpur transmitter to go for operation.

Earlier in the day. PW-37 Reazul Haq during his cross-ex amination told the trial court that the movement of army in the radio station began on August 15. 1975 They did not come to the radio station before." said the then radio engi-

Beginning his deposition, the Pw-38 said he was then a radio engineer at the Shahbagh broadcasting centre which had six studios and four booths. "Broadcasting any announcement is possible from the studios, controlled by the booths." Roy was shift-in-charge of the main control room at Shahbagh from 10 pm ori August 14 td 6 am the foilowing day. The shift also included technical operator Mohammad All. mechanic Anwar Hossain and another technical hand.

1 woke up amidst firing outside the radio station at about 4:30 am on August 15." said the witness who was resting in his office room after the broadcasting of external services programme was completed at 2 am.

He said. "A. number of army personnel, brandishing arms, entered the radio station at about 5:45 am and at gun point, compelled the police guards to surrender. Roy said he witnessed the incident from the room of shift-in-charge.

"After two to three minutes, some army jawans and officers, also with weapons in the ready, entered my room through the FM transmitter room,"-the PW said adding one of them identified himself as Major. Dalim.

Dalim loudly wanted to know who is the shift-in-charge and Roy introduced himself. "Displaying his weapon, he (Dalim) said in a crude language: Sheikh Mujib and all his gang have been killed. Army has taken over power."

Major Dalim also asked Roy to switch on everything, saying that they would make an announcement. "Being afraid, I with the help of my colleagues, switched on the equipment," recalled the witness who Is now 52 years old.

Later. Roy continued. Major Dalim wrote an announcement on a piece of paper and pointing at a radio receiver he said that he would make the announcement. "Dalim also threatened that all would be killed if the announcement is not heard over radio."

As Roy replied that actlvat ing the Kalyanpur transmitter is a must, Major Dalim asked him to make aphoftetal! the/e. ■ Being asked. 1 contacted Abdul * Latif, the shift-in-charge of Kalyanpur centre, by our magnetic tele line." he said.

Major Dalim understood the talks and snatched the receiver from Pronob Rov. He used abu-

slw language to shift-in-charge Latif and after a while Latif

Then, he said, aft I can recall Major Dalim made the aa-*. nouncement that "autocrat Sheikh Mujib has been killed. Army took over the power under the leadership of Khan-dakar Mushtaque Ahmed. Curfew has been imposed."

The witness further said. "At about 7 in the morning. Khandaker Mushtaque Ahmed came to the Betar Bhaban. After sometime. I saw the then State Minister for Information Taheruddin Thakur writing a speech for Mushtaque sitting beside him.

"The speech written by Thakur was recorded in the voice of Khandaker Mushtaque and broadcast by radio at about 8 am," Roy said adding that after about an hour chiefs of the armed forces. BDR. police and the acting chief of Rakkhi Bahinl came to the radio station.

The witness said he at that time saw the chiefs and Major General Ziaur Rahman and Brig Khaled Mosharraf talking to Khandaker Mushtaque Ahmed at the studio number 2 and Thakur writing the text of oath of allegiance by the chiefs.

He said the oath of allegiance by the chiefs — Major General K M Shaflullah of Army, Rear Admiral M H Khan of Navy. Air Vice Marshal AK Khandaker of Air Force. Major General Khalilur Rahman of BDR. 1G Nurul Islam of police and the acting chief of Rakkhi Bahini — were recorded in their own voice and broadcast in turns.

Earlier, the cross-examination of PW-37 was completed at the special eJiash of Dhaka District and Sessions Judge Kazi Golam Rasul at Nazimuddin Road.