Daughters to stay with Japanese mother till 23 Jan: SC

The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court (SC) on Monday said the two daughters of Bangladesh-born US citizen Imran Sharif and his Japanese wife Eriko Nakano will stay with their mother till 23 January.

A three-member Appellate Division bench headed by Chief Justice Hasan Foez Siddique passed the order, asking Eriko to file a leave to appeal plea by that day, challenging the High Court (HC) verdict in this regard.

According to the direction of the Appellate Division, Imran Sharif will be allowed to visit his daughters Makano Jasmine Malika, 11, and Makano Laila Lina, nine, every day.

The Appellate Division of the SC on 12 December, 2021, had directed Imran Sharif to hand her daughters by 10pm of that day to their mother. 

But the father failed to comply with the apex court direction, making Eriko to file the contempt of court petition.

Earlier on 21 November the HC in its order had said the daughters will live with their father in Bangladesh.

The court in its order had also said Eriko will be allowed to live with her daughters thrice a year and 10 days on each visit exclusively and Imran Sharif will bear the expenses of her visits.

The HC division bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman passed the order after holding hearing on a writ filed in this regard.

The court said the mother will be able to meet her children at any other time at her own expense. The father will have to arrange virtual meeting of the mother and her two daughters twice on every holiday.

Apart from these, Imran Sharif will have to give Tk10 lakh to his estranged wife within next seven days as cost of her recent visits to Bangladesh.

The HC on 31 August ordered Sharif Imran and Nakano Eriko to live at a Gulshan flat together for 15 days with their two daughters. 

The court had asked Department of Social Services to look over the matter and the commissioner of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) is being asked to ensure the safety of this family.

The court finally came up with its order as the estranged couple failed to reach a consensus on where and with whom their two daughters Makano Jasmine Malika and Makano Laila Lina will live, in spite of repeated instructions from the court.

"We want the two children to live in a family atmosphere. Please both of you think positively," the court had said during the hearing.

Nakano Eriko filed the writ on 19 August, pleading for HC directions to get back her two daughters from their father Sharif Imran.

The HC on 23 August, asked the authorities concerned to keep the two children at the Tejgaon Victim Support Centre in a good environment. The HC had allowed their parents to visit them at the centre.