The High Court on Monday asked the authorities concerned to keep the two children of Japanese woman and a Bangladeshi man at the Tejgaon victim support centre in a good environment until August 31 amid a legal battle over their custody.

The HC bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman passed the order following a petition filed by the Japanese mother of the two children.

The court also gives permission to the parents of the children to meet them at the Tejgaon victim support centre in a stipulated time.

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On August 19, Nakano Eriko, a citizen of Japan, filed a petition with the High Court seeking its directives to return back her two daughters-- Jasmine Malika,11 and Laila Lina, 10---from their Bangladeshi father Sharif Imran.

The court than asked the authorities concerned to produce the two children before the court on August 31. It also asked Imran not to leave the country with his daughters for next one month.

On Sunday, a team of Criminal Investigation Department (CID) police took the two children under custody.

On Monday, Advocate Fawzia Karim, a counsel of Imran drew the attention of the court about the custody.

Advocate Mohammad Sishir Monir represents the Japanese woman.

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Advocate Monir, said “Eriko, a 46-year-old woman and a physician by profession, filed a petition seeking custody of her two children. Eriko and Imran tied the knot on July 11, 2008, according to the law of Japan. They used to live in Tokyo and the couple has been blessed with three daughters.”

“Three daughters of the couple aged above, 11, 10, and seven are studying at a school in Tokyo. On January 18, this year, Imran appealed for the divorce and on January 21 he filed an appeal to the school authorities to take his one daughter but they refused following the objection of Eriko,” said Monir.

Later, Imran picked his two daughters from school bus to a rented building and on February 21 and he returned to Bangladesh with his two daughters.

On May 31 a court in Tokiyo handed over the custody of the two daughters to Eriko.

On July 18 Eriko came to Bangladesh to meet her daughters.