Immigration Police of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on Friday obstructed Japanese citizen Nakano Erico and her two daughters while leaving the country.

Imran Sharif, the children’s father, informed immigration police around 12 am and the authorities concerned barred Erico from leaving the country with her daughters.

Talking to UNB, Imran said Erico tried to leave the country with their daughters. “I personally arrived at the airport and showed the court copy that issued an order that the two girls won’t be allowed to leave the country”

“A woman, identified as Nasrin, helped Erico. When she sensed danger, she managed to flee the scene,” he said.

The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on June 2, rejected Erico’s petition seeking an order to go abroad with her daughters.

Also read: SC rejects Japanese woman’s plea to go abroad with her kids

On May 17, Erico’s counsel Sishir Monir appealed to the Appellate Division seeking permission for his client to travel abroad with her two children.

Erico has spent many days in Bangladesh with her daughters and wants to go abroad for a vacation that can be to Japan, according to the plea.

At the same time, Erico asked the court to press contempt of court charges against Imran for not following the Supreme Court's order on meeting their two children.

Later, Imran also filed a contempt of court plea against Erico alleging disobedience of the High Court order to allow him to meet their two children.

On February 13, the Appellate Division ordered disposal of the case within three months over the custody of the two children of Imran and Erico at a family court.

During this period, the court made it clear that the girls will stay with their Japanese mother in Bangladesh. And Imran can meet them but can’t leave the country.

As per the order of the Appellate Division, the two children have been in the custody of their mother since December 12 last year. However, their father can visit them every day at a convenient time between 9am and 9pm.

On November 21 last year, the HC bench of justices M Enayetur Rahim and Md Mostafizur Rahman ruled that the Japan-born daughters of Imran and Erico will stay with their father.

However, the mother can exclusively meet the daughters, aged 11 and 10, three times a year for 10 days at a time and Imran, the father, will have to bear her travel and accommodation expenses, the court had said.

On December 5, Erico filed a petition with the Appellate Division challenging the High Court's order.

After 12 years of marriage, on January 18 last year, Erico, a physician, appealed for divorce from engineer Imran over marital dispute.

On January 28, 2021, she also filed a case with a Tokyo family court for the custody of their three children.

But on February 21, Imran returned to Bangladesh with their two girls from Japan. After that a Japanese court passed an order giving the children under their mother’s custody.

On August 19, Erico filed a writ petition in the High Court here seeking custody of the two girls.