Japanese Woman’s Petition: HC summons father over custody of two daughters

The High Court yesterday directed Bangladesh-born US citizen Imran Sharif to produce his daughters before it on August 31 after his Japanese wife Eriko Nakano, who moved to Bangladesh, filed a writ petition for custody of their children.

The court ordered the officers-in-charge of Adabor and Gulshan police stations to ensure that Imran and his sister Amina Jebin produce the children — Nakano Jasmine Malika, 11, and Nakano Laila Lina, 10, — before the court on that day.

It also ordered Imran not to leave the country with his daughters in the next 30 days.

The HC also issued a rule asking the authorities concerned of the government and Imran and Amina to explain as to why they should not be directed to produce the children before the court to satisfy it that they are not confined illegally.

The HC bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman came up with the order after hearing the writ petition.

Lawyer Mohammad Shishir Munir appeared for the petitioner during the virtual hearing.

Nakano, 46, a doctor based in Tokyo, came to Bangladesh on July 18 this year and filed a writ petition with the HC seeking a directive on Imran, 58, to hand over the children to her custody.

She submitted the petition to the court through lawyer Shishir, saying that Imran, who now lives in Mohammadia Housing Society under Adabor Police Station in Dhaka or in a Gulshan house, may flee Bangladesh with her daughters.

In the petition, Nakano said she and Imran got married on July 11, 2008, in Japan following Japanese and Muslim culture.

Imran submitted a divorce notice to a Japanese court on January 18 this year. However, he did not appear before the court on the scheduled dates for the hearing.

On January 21 this year, Imran picked up the daughters from their school in Tokyo and came to Bangladesh on February 21.

In the petition, Nakano prayed to the HC to order Imran to produce her daughters before the court in three days to demonstrate that they are not confined illegally.

She added that Imran took her daughters and harassed her intentionally by preventing her from seeing or contacting them.