Japanese children to be at support centre till 31 August: HC

The High Court (HC) ordered the Bangladeshi father of two Japanese children and the police, to place the children in custody of the victim support centre in Tejgaon of the capital till 31 August.

The court, in its order, said the mother can meet her children at the support centre from 8am to 2pm every day while the father can meet them from 3pm to 8pm.

The court also directed the Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner and other people concerned to ensure there is suitable food for the children.

The parents can supply food for their children, but that has to be tested by the victim support centre, the court added.

The HC bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman issued the order on Monday after hearing a writ petition filed by Japanese citizen Nakano Erico, seeking custody of her two daughters.

The court set 31 August for a further hearing and order on the matter.

The lawyers of both the parties were asked to come up with a good solution to the dispute between the two parents before the hearing on 31 August.

On Sunday, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) took the children into custody from their father's residence in the capital's Baridhara area. Advocate Fauzia Karim, lawyer of the father, took the matter to the HC.

Japanese doctor Nakano Erico, 48, and Bangladeshi-American Sharif Imran, 58, were married on 11 July, 2008 in accordance with Japanese law. They moved to Tokyo and had three daughters in their 12 years of conjugal life.

According to Erico's lawyer Shishir Monir, all three daughters were students at the "American School in Japan" in Tokyo's Chofu City. On 18 January, 2021, Sharif Imran filed for divorce from Erico. Then, on 21 January, Imran appealed to the school authorities to take his daughter Jasmine Malika away. But the school authorities rejected his plea since Erico did not agree to that.

Then, one day, Imran picked up Jasmine Malika and Laila Lina from their school bus stop, and took them to a rented house.

Erico's lawyer Monir, also said that on 25 January, Imran through his lawyer asked Erico for the passports of the two daughters. But Erico rejected the request and filed a lawsuit with Tokyo Family Court on 28 January, seeking its order to get custody of her two daughters.

The court in Japan, then, issued an order instructing Imran to let Erico meet with the daughters on 7, 11, and 14 February, but Imran violated the court order, allowing the mother to meet the daughters only once.

Then on 9 February, Erico's Bangladeshi lawyer, Monir, said on the basis of 'false information', Imran obtained new passports for his daughters, and on 21 February, he flew back to Bangladesh via Dubai, with Jasmine and Laila. Three months later, on 31 May, the Tokyo Family Court ordered the transfer of Jasmine and Laila's custody to their mother Erico, taking into account the statements made by the two daughters and the circumstances, overall.

"However, as the two daughters were in Bangladesh, Erico consulted with a Bangladeshi human rights activist and lawyer. On 18 July, Erico came to Bangladesh, but Imran initially refused to allow her to meet her two daughters. Later, on 27 July, switching off Erico's mobile phone, Imran let her meet her daughters, but he kept the mother blindfolded," said Shishir Monir.

Following these events, the Japanese mother on 19 August filed a writ petition with the HC seeking custody of her two daughters. After hearing the petition, the HC has summoned the father, paternal aunt, and the two daughters to appear in court.

Responding to her petition, the HC has directed the father and paternal aunt to bring the two children to court on 31 August.

The court also directed the officers-in-charge (OCs) of Gulshan and Adabor police stations to ensure the presence of the children in court on that day.

At the same time, the HC has imposed a 30-day restriction on the father, not allowing him to leave the country.