Japanese mother finally gets custody of two children

A family court on Sunday gave custody of two children to their mother and Japanese citizen Eriko Nakano.

Judge Durrana Rahman of Dhaka Family Court pronounced the judgment this noon, saying the mother can take the two children daughter Makano Jasmine Malika and Makano Laila Lina to Japan with her, if she wants.

The court said it reached to the decision, focusing on the wellbeing of the two children.

Eriko Nakano married Bangladesh-born US citizen Imran Sharif in 2008 in Japan. They became parents of three children after that. In 2020, Eriko filed a divorce petition with Japanese court. Imran after that took two of their daughters with him and came to Bangladesh.

Eriko too came to Bangladesh and filed a petition with the apex court for the custody of the two children.

The High Court on 31 August 2021, had ordered Imran Sharif and Nakano Eriko to live at a Gulshan flat together for 15 days with their two daughters.

The court had asked Department of Social Services to look over the matter and the Commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police is being asked to ensure the safety of this family. 

The court finally came up with its order as the estranged couple failed to reach a consensus on where and with whom their two daughters Makano Jasmine Malika and Makano Laila Lina will live, in spite of repeated instructions from the court.

The Supreme Court however, on 13 February 2022, said, until the disposal of the case by Dhaka family court, the two children will remain in the custody of their mother, while their father can meet them in the house.