Dr Yunus was offered head of govt post on Aug 4: Nahid

Nobel laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus was offered the position of head of government even before the previous Awami League government was ousted, said Nahid Islam, convenor of the National Citizen Party (NCP).

"Mahfuz Alam was maintaining liaison with other student organisations and citizen communities to make the August 4 March to Dhaka programme a success. As a preparation for forming a new government, we discussed with Dr Muhammad Yunus. He was also offered the responsibility of the new head of government," Nahid said. 

He made the remarks while testifying as the 47th prosecution witness in the case against Sheikh Hasina and two others for crimes against humanity committed during the July–August 2024 mass uprising. The three-member ICT-1 bench, headed by Justice Golam Murtuza Majumder, recorded his deposition from 11:15am to 1pm on Thursday. His testimony concluded today. 

Nahid, who also previously served as the Information and Broadcasting Minister, is one of the prosecution's most high-profile witnesses in the case. He is expected to be cross-examined later this afternoon.

Chief Prosecutor Mohammad Tajul Islam, along with prosecutors Mizanul Islam and Gazi MH Tamim, represented the state, while Advocate Amir Hossain represented Sheikh Hasina and Kamal. 

Advocate Zayed Bin Amzad stood for the detained former Inspector General of police (IGP) Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun.

The tribunal formally framed charges against all three accused on July 10 and subsequently ordered the commencement of the trial.

At a later stage of the proceedings, former IGP Mamun applied to become a state witness by pleading guilty. The tribunal accepted his application, and he was subsequently presented as the 36th witness in the case.

Besides, Sheikh Hasina is facing two more cases at the ICT. One accuses her of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings during 15-and-a-half years of the Awami League's regime.

The other involves allegations of mass killings during a Hefazat-e-Islam rally at Shapla Square in the capital's Motijheel area.