Japanese mother gets guardianship of daughters, free to leave country

A Dhaka court has passed its order in favour of Japanese woman Nakano Eriko, who has been in a legal battle with her Bangladeshi ex-husband over the guardianship of their two daughters.

The court also allowed Nakano Eriko to leave for Japan with her daughters who have been in Bangladesh for the last two years after their father, Imran Sharif, brought them here in 2021.

Dhaka Second Additional Assistant Judge and Family Court Judge Durdana Rahman announced the verdict on Sunday, Advocate Muhammad Shishir Monir told The Business Standard.

The court also dismissed the case of Imran Sharif.

Earlier on 24 December last, Nakano Eriko was stopped at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport while leaving the country with the girls.

In June 2022, the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court dismissed three separate petitions including a court of contempt filed by both Japanese citizen Nakano Eriko and Bangladesh-born US citizen Imran Sharif regarding their two children.

Imran allegedly picked up his two eldest daughters on their way home from school in Japan and flew with them to Bangladesh three days after Nakano filed for a divorce in January 2021.