Dhaka, Sept. 22 -- Former prime minister Sheikh Hasina never resigned from office on 5 August last year but was instead compelled to leave for India, claimed Md Amir Hossain, the state-appointed defence counsel for Hasina and former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal.

He made the remark on Sunday during his cross-examination of Nahid Islam, a key figure in the July movement, at the International Crimes Tribunal-1.

Nahid, who serves as the convenor of the National Citizen Party (NCP), appeared before the tribunal as the 47th prosecution witness in the ongoing trial against Hasina and two others over allegations of crimes against humanity committed during the July Uprising of 2024.

Challenging Nahid's deposition, Amir Hossain argued, "...