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Father wins custody of two kids

Japanese mother can visit them thrice a year


Published : 21 Nov 2021 10:27 PM

The High Court has ruled that two Japanese children of a divorced couple will stay in the custody of their Bangladeshi father, while their Japanese mother can visit Bangladesh three times a year to see the children.

The Bangladeshi father has to bear the Japanese mother’s cost when she visits Bangladesh. She can stay with her children for ten days every three months. The mother, however, will have to bear her own costs if she stays longer with the children.

The HC bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman delivered the verdict on Sunday (November 21) after long hearing of a writ petition filed by Erico Nakamo, after long hearing of a writ petition filed by Erico Nakamo, mother of the children who is a 46-year old doctor in Japan. 

The Japanese woman filed the writ petition on August 18 last, seeking custody of her two daughters-- Jasmine Malika, 11, Laila Lina, 10,-- who were brought into Bangladesh from Tokyo following their parents’ divorce.  

Although Erico Nakamo doesn’t get custody of the two children, the higher court of Bangladesh asked Imran Sharif to pay Tk 10 lakh to his ex-wife Erico as the expenses of her travels and to cover her expenses of stay in Bangladesh over the past few months.

The social service officer concerned was asked to inform the court about the updates of the two children once every three months. However, the court will disclose details in the full verdict.

Advocate Mohammad Shishir Manir stood in the court on behalf of the children’s Japanese mother, while senior lawyer Fida M Kamal, Advocate Fawzia Karim, Barrister Kazi Maruful Alam and Barrister Faiza Mehrin appeared for the children’s father in the court.  

Dr Erico Nakamo arrived in Bangladesh on July 18 this year for a legal battle over the custody of her two children. On August 18, she filed the writ petition with the High Court, seeking the court’s directive to produce the children before the court. The Japanese woman also sought the directive of the higher court to take custody of the child daughters from their Bangladeshi father - Sharif Imran.

The court then asked the authorities concerned to present the two children in court on August 31. Later, On August 22, a team of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of police took both the children into their custody. On August 23, the High Court asked the authorities concerned to keep the children at the Tejgaon Victim Support Centre in a good environment. 

However, the two Japanese girls appeared before the court along with their aunt on August 31. The two judges of the HC bench talked to the two Japanese children privately and issued an order to keep them in hotels. 

On September 16, the HC bench directed the lawyers concerned to settle the custodial dispute between the Bangladeshi father and the Japanese mother. However, the lawyers as well as the Bangladeshi father and Japanese mother of the children can’t come to an amicable settlement over the matter.

Imran and Erico, were married on July 11 in 2008 under Japanese law.

According to Advocate Shishir Manir, the couple was divorced on January 18 in 2021. Later, on February 21, Imran came to Bangladesh with Jasmine Malika and Laila Lina. Against this backdrop, the Japanese woman moved to Bangladesh and started the legal battle. 

Eriko alleged that Imran Sharif brought the children to Bangladesh from Japan without her consent.