Cross-examination of PW-37 M Reazul Huq. an engineer of Bangladesh Betar, in the Bangabandhu murder case was held on Sunday.

Following are the excerpts from Reazul Huq's examination by advocate Sharfuddin Mukul, defence counsel for Taheruddln Thakur:

Q: Are you still in service? Are you tn Job at a stretch?

A Yes. Since 1965.

Q: Bangladesh Betar is a government organisation.

A: It Is the government-owned broadcasting media.

9- All the employees of Betar

9: ft Is under the Ministry of Information.

A: Yes.

Q: Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was the head of the government on August 14. 1975.

A Yes.

Q: He had a cabinet

A Yes.

Q: Taheruddln Thakur, as an elected MP. was the state minister for Information In that cabinet on that day.

A Yes.

Q: Did you know him personally?

A Yes.

Q: He (Thakur) was a renowned journalist.

Q: Government administrative machinery was functioning on that day at the Bangladesh Betar

A It was not normal.

Q: There were armed forces in the country on August 14.

A: Yes.

Q: Those had chiefs.

A: Yes.

Q: On August 14, Major General ShafiuiTah. Rear Admiral MH Khan and Ar Vice Marshal AK Khandaker respectively were the chiefs of Army. Navy and Ar Force.

A Yes.

Q: On August 15. they came to Betar ana their voices were broadcast.

A. Oaths of allegiance were broadcast.

Q: Bangladesh Betar had Its own organogram.

A Yes

Q: The transmission centre was at Shahbagh and the head office was also there.

A: The transmission centre was at Shahbagh and the head office was at Road-2, Dhan-mondi.

S: What was the designation e head of Bangladesh Betar?

A: Director General.

Q: Who was DG on August 15?

A: Amiruzzaman Khan.

Q: Who was the head of the broadcasting centre at Shahbagh?

A: Regional Director Ashfaqur Rahman.

Q: Who was next to Ashfaqur Rahman?

A Under the regional director. there were three departments — Engineering. Programme and News.

Q: Who were the chiefs of those departments?

A: Syed Mohammad Shakur was the chief of engineering department and Ashfaqur Rahman of programme. I cannot recollect the name of the chief of news department.

Q: Whose responsibility is it to record and broadcast speeches?

A: Engineering department Is in charge of recording and the programme department of broadcasts.

Q: Normally any speech or announcement which will be broadcast remain In schedule.

A: In normal times, those remain In schedule.

Q: Are those registered?

A: Entry takes place on U sheet.

Q: Where the speeches are

recorded?

A: On tape. Language of the speech is not recorded In any register.

Q: Normally the whole programme of a day's broadcast comes in printed form the following day.

Q: Betar Bhaban Is a protected area and has Its own security arrangement.

A Yes.

Q: What was the arrangement for outsiders to contact with anyone working at the Betar Bhaban.

A By telephone.

. .Q: WhaL was there In

. - Q: .Whileswitching.on the. transmission at the beginning of a day, you require permission from the higher authorities.

A: No.

Q: What was the scheduled time to begin transmission on August 15. 1975.

A 6:30 am.

Q: How long the first session of transmission continued during those period?

A I don't remember. But the second session used to begin at 12 noon and continue up to 3 pm while the third session was from 4 pm to 11:30 pm.

Q Both the technical and non technical stall had same type of shifting duty.

A: No. they had different duty hours.

Q: What were the duty shifts of the technical persons on August 15 at the Shahbagh station?

A: From 6 am-2 pm. 2 pm-10pm and 10pm-6am. Nontechnical people had no shifting duty. Only one person remained on duty to monitor the programmes by rotation.

Q: Those on night duty had arrangements to stay at the Betar Bhaban.

A Yes.

Q: Where was your residence on August 15?

A: At Indira Road. I used to live in a mess.

Q: How were you picked up for the office from your residence?

A By car.

Q: How many of you used to go by that car?

A Four.

Q: When were you picked up on August 15?

A: At about 5:30 am.

Q: Was there a road on the western side of Betar Bhaban?

A Yes.

Q: When did you arrive at Betar Bhaban?

A At about 5:45 am.

« There were two gates at Be-haban on the roadside.

A Yes.

Q: You didn't see the security men at Betar Bhaban after going there.

A: I didn't see policemen (here.

Q You had seen two trucks of Rakkhi Bahini.

A: Yes.

Q: Who used to normally guard the Betar Bhaban gate?

A Police. There was a reception near the gate and police used to stay there.

Q: Who stays in the control room of radio station.

A: Engineering staff.

Q: On that day. Pranab. Mohammad All and Anwar were on duty.

A: Yes. but I didn't see them.

Q: You were In the control room on that day up to 7 am.

Q: After that you went to booth-2.

A: Yes. I went there after 7 am.

Q: Was any announcement made on that day before your arrival? If so. you were not present there.

A: I heard the announcement from the control room.

Q: Was that the first an-

nouncement about the Incident.

Ai I can't say.

Ql Did you submit any docu-mrnl. note or anything In writing to the IO?

Q: Did you submit any document or anything in writing to the court while you came here to give statement.

A No.

Q: Did you come across with any non-technlcal staff when you went to the control room or the booth?

A No

Q: Was regional Director Ashfaqur Rahman or anyone from the news department there? . iib.zji

1 A Mo. I- iHi'l'D .(

Q: What was the time of news, transihiksfoil? '

A 7 am.

Q: Was It possible to broadcast news without your knowledge?

A No.

9 On that morning. Sarkar Kabiruddin was scheduled to read news.

A: Yes.

Q: Did you listen to the news read by Sarkar Kabiruddin?

A No.

Q: On that day, Sarkar Kabiruddin read the news at 7 am and it was broadcast.

A: 1 didn't remember.

Q: Did you make any entry in the register about the announcement which was broadcast?

A It was recorded on tape.

Q: In your statement, you have mentioned the text of that announcement from your memory.

A: 1 stated the summary of the announcement from my memory.

Q: Did you hear the same thing from the booth as you heard the announcement from the control room?

A Yes.

Q: Can you say the entire text of that announcement?

A: I told the summary of the announcement from my memory.

9: You have stated the text of the announcement to the IO from your memory.

Q: You gave statement to the IO on 20.10.96. Where?

A Yes. At the CID office.

Q: Did the IO come to the radio station with you?

A; No.

Q: Pranab is a witness in this case.

A: It was not known to me that at that time.

Q: Were you there when three chiefs of the armed forces had been talking with Khandaker Mushtaque Ahmed?

A 1 don't remember... I didn't see ... 1 didn't notice.

Q: You told the IO that you heard from the control room and the booth at about 6 to 6:15 am T am Major Dalim speaking. Sheikh Mujib has been killed. Army has taken over power and curfew has been imposed.”

But you also said that later you heard "Sheikh Mujib and his autocratic government has been overthrown and army under the leadership of Khandaker Mustaque Ahmed has taken over power and curfew has been Imposed "

You did not tell the IO about the changed version of the announcement.

A: 1 told the IO (about the later version). 1 recorded that and also transmitted that.

Q: The text of the announcement was not like that and you did not even hear that.

A: 1 heard.

Q: You did not hear the announcement second time in the booth.

A I heard.

9 You have said you heard Taheruddln Thakur telling

Kh.nulakrr Mushl<«|Hc Io make some < h.inuvs in the text of the announcement. This statement of yours is not true.

A: It is true. I heard with my own ears.

Q: The announcement, which you heard first and also the second time, was read from a written text.

A No. It was verbal.

Q: It is a blatant lie that Taheruddln Thakur wrote the text of the announcement.

A: He wrote the announcement. it was recorded and broadcast,

Q: You said you worked jointly with the staff of the previous Shift. This statement ,is not correct. ■■ '■ - >■<»»,.>

A I worked with the staff of ’ the previous shift.

Q: Was the recorded speech of Khandaker Mustaque broadcast in his presence?

A: Yes, in his presence.

Q: What was in the speech of Mushtaque? '

A: I don't remember, but Mushtaque began his address saying "Assalamu-Alaikum".

Q: You stated that you had seen the tape of the recorded speech of Mushtaque for two to three day alter August 15. and never saw it after that.

A: 1 had submitted the tape and after that I had never seen It. , .

Q: You told the court that Taheruddln Thakur gave the order to broadcast the recorded speech of Mushtaque. But you didn't tell it to the IO.

A I told the IO.

Q: Did you hear Hamd and Naat before Nazrul songs were played.

A: Yes. Hamd and Naat were played before the second announcement and after that Nazrul's songs were played.

Q: Taheruddln Thakur did not write the oaths of allegiance read by three chiefs of armed forces. IGP and the BDR chief.

A: He wrote the oath.

Q: Do you have that written script?

A: No.

Q: The chiefs of different forces read the oaths of alle-Sance in their own language, one of them read oath of allegiance from any written text.

A: It is not true. They read from the text written by Taheruddln Thakur.

Q: Who was the IGP and the chiefs of BDR and Rakkhi Bahini?

Q: Nurul Islam was the IGP. Major General Khalilur Rahman the DG of BDR and Major Abul Hasan the acting DG of Rakkhi Bahini.

Q: Did the oaths of allegiance broadcast in their presence?

A Yes.

Excerots from cross-examination of M Reazul Huq by state defence counsel for absconding accused Major (dismissed) Sharlful Huq Dalim:,

Q: How long were you kept sitting at the radio station after the August 15 Incident?

A: Approximately from 6:15 am to 7 am.

Q: Was the schedule followed In distribution of responsibilities at the radio station?

A Schedule was not followed on that day due to abnormal situation.

Excerots from cross-examination of M Reazul Huq by state defence counsel for Col (retd) Khondaker Abdur Rashid:

Q: When did you last perform your duty at the radio station before August 15?

A: From 2 pm to 10 pm on August 14.

9: You have given false evidence to protect your Job.

A: This is hot true.

— UNB

Further texts of cross examination will be published as and when received.