Two Japanese children will stay with their father: HC

GBNEWS24DESK//

Two children of Bangladesh-born American citizen Imran Sharif and Japanese citizen Dr Erico Nakano will stay in custody of their father, said the High Court (HC) today (Sunday) following the hearing of a writ petition.

If the mother wants, she will be able to meet and stay with her children, the HC also said.
It said the 48-year-old mother Erico Nakano can stay with her children for ten days every three months.

Besides, the HC rejected another writ filed by the father. However, the writ filed by the mother would continue.

A virtual bench of the HC, comprising Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman, delivered the order.

Erico’s former husband 58-year-old Sharif Imran will have to bear the travel cost of her visits from and to Japan.

The mother will have to bear her own costs if she stays longer with her kids.

The HC also ordered Sharif Imran to pay Erico Nakano Tk 10 lakh as the expenses of her travel and stay in Bangladesh over the past few months.

The HC will also release the details of the full verdict soon.

Legal battle over handing over the guardianship of two Japanese girls–Jesmine Malika and Laila Lina–has been going on at the High Court. Advocate Shishir Monir and his team appeared at the court on belahf of Japanese mother Erico Nakano, while former attorney general Fida M Kamal, Advocate Fouzia Karim Firoze and her team appeared for the girls’ Bangladeshi father Imran Sharif. The lawyers of both sides presented legal arguments and references of various international cases.Earlier on November 1, hearings on the writ petition on whether the two Japanese girls will stay with their father Imran Sharif or go back to Japan with mother Erico Nakano was completed.

On September 30 last, the High Court passed an order stating that the Japanese mother Erico Nakano would stay with her daughters–Jesmine Malika and Laila Lina–at the Gulshan flat round-the-clock including nights. Father Imran Sharif will only be able to meet his daughters during the day-time. During that time, both father and mother will have to bear the rent of the flat equally. Since then, both the father and mother have been staying with the girls according to the order.

On August 31, the HC passed an order stating that two Japanese children–Jesmine Malika and Laila Lina–would live in a four-room flat at Gulshan in Dhaka. They would live there for 15 days. The rent of the flat would be borne by both sides.

The HC also stated that a deputy director of the Social Welfare Department will inform the court about the updates of the children once every three months. If necessary, the official will be able to stay at Imran Sharif’s Gulshan flat where the girls will be staying.