We propose a technique in which intensity images are reconstructed from a digital hologram to provide inputs for the transport-of-intensity equation for unwrapped phase recovery. By doing this, we avoid shifting of the sample or the camera in the experiment, a method commonly employed while using the method of transport-of-intensity equation for phase retrieval. Computer simulations as well as experimental results have been demonstrated to verify the effectiveness of the proposed idea. The underlying numerical technique can also be viewed as an alternative to existing phase-unwrapping algorithms.