The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on Thursday ordered to maintain the status quo on taking the two Japanese children of Bangladesh-born US citizen Imran Sharif and Japanese national Nakano Erico out of the country. A seven-member bench of the Appellate Division, led by Chief Justice Hasan Foez Siddique, passed the order and asked the authorities concerned to dispose of the appeal petition filed by Sharif, seeking guardianship of the two children, within three months. With this order, Nakano Erico can’t leave the country for Japan with her children Jesmin Malika and Laila Lina. Senior Lawyer Barrister Azmalul Hossain KC and Advocate Mohammad Shishir Manir stood for Erico while Barrister Akhtar Imam and Barrister Rashna Imam represented Sharif. Advocate Rashna Imam said Erico cannot take her children without the permission of the Appellate Division. The two children will stay with their mother, a family court said in its judgment on January 29. Durdana Rahman, judge of Dhaka's Second Additional Assistant Judge and Family Court passed the order. The younger of the two children was living with her father from the beginning. On February 2, this year, Erico lodged a general diary with Gulshan Police. Later, Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Mamunur Rashid heard the younger child personally. The court also ordered to keep the child with her father and mother every alternate day until the case is disposed of. Sharif filed an appeal petition challenging the court order. After 12 years of marriage, on January 18, 2020, Eriko, a physician, appealed for divorce from Engineer Imran Sharif. On January 28, 2021 she also filed a case with a Tokyo family court for custody of their three children. But on February 21, 2021, Imran returned to Bangladesh with their two daughters from Japan. Meanwhile a Japanese court passed a verdict putting the children under their mother’s custody. On August 19, 2021 – days after coming to Bangladesh – Eriko filed a writ petition before the High Court here seeking custody of the two girls. On November 21, 2021  the HC bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman ruled that the Japan-born daughters of Imran and Eriko would stay with their father. However, the mother could exclusively meet the daughters, aged 11 and 10, three times a year for 10 days at a time and Imran, the father, will bear her travel and accommodation expenses, said the court. On February 13 last year, the Appellate Division ordered that the custody of the two girls will be decided by the family court and until then the two children will remain with their mother. Eriko tried to leave Dhaka with her daughters on December 23, 2022. She was turned away by the police from the airport after she tried to take the children in defiance of court orders.

Two Japanese marathon runners have tested positive for COVID-19 and will miss the race at the world championships. World Athletics announced Saturday that two of the country's six athletes entered in the marathon tested positive along with the head coach and four members of the support staff. All will have to be isolated for five days, a period that will run through the men's race Sunday and the women's race Monday. The federation did not say which of the six Japanese runners entered in the marathons had tested positive. Gaku Hoshi, Yusuke Nishiyama and Kengo Suzuki are entered in the men's race and Mao Ichiyama, Mizuki Matsuda and Hitomi Niiya are entered in the women's. Read: Athlete dies completing marathon in Chattogram Athletes had to be fully vaccinated to be participate at the worlds. Organizers are recommending, but not requiring, masks to be worn in indoor areas during the championships.

Japanese Ambassador to Bangladesh Ito Naoki on Monday said Bangladesh, located along the Bay of Bengal, is a vital country in geopolitical terms and it needs to utilize its geographical advantage for full economic benefits. While addressing a hybrid seminar on “Geopolitics of Indo-Pacific and Reconnecting the Bay of Bengal Littorals" he said, Japan has been developing Bangladesh's first deep-sea port in Matarbari, south of Chittagong which constitutes the "Bay of Bengal Industrial Growth Belt (so-called Big-B).  Ambassador Naoki said the new port and the economic zone will become hubs of "logistics, power and energy," and "waterfront industry" in Bangladesh and the region.  Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS) and the Embassy of Japan in Bangladesh jointly organized the seminar at the BIISS auditorium as part of the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Bangladesh.  Muhammad Faruk Khan, MP, Chairman, Parliamentary Standing Committee on Ministry of Foreign Affairs spoke as the chief guest. Ambassador Naoki said, JICA is implementing several large-scale infrastructure projects under the BIG-B.  READ: Japanese Ambassador visits Narayanganj city For example, he said, in December this year, Dhaka Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) Line 6 will start its commercial operation, and Bangladesh Special Economic Zone in Araihazar, the first economic zone developed by Japan will also be ready for international investment.  The envoy said Japan promotes various practical cooperation, including anti-terrorism, disaster prevention, and maritime safety.  "Japan granted 24 rescue boats to the Bangladesh Coast Guard last December and started a training program on "Coast Guard Policy" for Bangladesh Coast Guard officers," he said Japan pursues a “Free and Open Indo- Pacific” (FOIP) that will ensure a rule-based international order to bring peace, stability, and prosperity for every country in the region, Naoki said.  Bangladesh is the country that recognizes the importance of rule-based maritime order and shares its value with Japan and other like-minded countries, he added. The ambassador of Japan highly praised Bangladesh's efforts for sheltering the displaced Rohingyas of Myanmar.  He said Japan supports the government's relocation policy of refugees to Bhasan Char and committed to provide US $2 million as the first donor to UNHCR and WFP for their operation in Bhasan Char.  The envoy said that they should all work towards the enabling environment for the Rohingyas early repatriation to Myanmar.  He reiterated the strongest ties between Bangladesh and Japan on this auspicious occasion of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of Bangladesh-Japan diplomatic relationship. In his speech Faruk Khan said the term “Indo-Pacific” received much currency when the then Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe described it as the “Confluence of the two seas” in 2007.  Faruk expressed his expectation that counties such as Japan can play a more active role in ensuring peace and stability in this region as japan is a forerunner of the concept of “Free and Open Indo-Pacific”. He strongly believed that Bangladesh and other littorals of the Bay of Bengal want to cooperate than to antagonize each other.  Besides, he mentioned about the forcibly displaced Rohingyas that may increase security threats in the Indo Pacific region. READ: Bangladesh to become centre of greater Bengal economy: Japanese Ambassador To resolve the Rohingya crisis, he said, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina also sought support from Japan’s current Prime Minister Fumio Kishida for the peaceful repatriation of Rohingyas to their homeland- Myanmar, he added. Major General Mohammad Maksudur Rahman, Director General, BIISS, delivered the welcome address.  Ambassador Kazi Imtiaz Hossain, Chairman, BIISS presided over the session and delivered the concluding remarks. Maksudur Rahman described the importance of Indo-pacific region as the central determinant of global peace and prosperity in the near future as well as the hub of 21st century’s economic opportunities.  As Bangladesh is envisioning for becoming a developed country in 2041, therefore, maritime resources are considered to be a major source of development and growth after the peaceful resolution of maritime disputes with India and Myanmar, he added. In the working session, amongst the speakers, Professor Imtiaz Ahmed, Department of International Relations, University of Dhaka, spoke on “The changing Nature of Geopolitics: Making sense of Bangladesh’s Position”, Professor KIKUCHI Tsutomu, Professor of International Political Economy, Aoyama Gakuin University, Japan, made a presentation on “Beyond US-China Relations: Japan’s Strategic Vision for the Indo-Pacific“, Professor Lailufar Yasmin, Department of International Relations, University of Dhaka deliberated on “The Rise of the Indo-Pacific: Bangladesh-Japan Relations”, and Professor Takahara Akio, Professor of Graduate School of Public Policy, The University of Tokyo, presented on “FOIP and Maritime Cooperation: Japan’s Initiative”.  The working session was moderated by Professor Rashed Uz Zaman, Department of International Relations, University of Dhaka. Prof Imtiaz Ahmed said it is the humans who create geopolitics and as long as a region has resources, it will attract attention.  He highlighted that Bangladesh has done tremendously well in terms of both economic and human developments after the independence.  He also highlighted Bangladesh's unique feature in terms of being a people's republic, having a liberation war and a foreign policy that is amicable towards all. He also talked about Bangladesh's position in the geopolitical race in Indo- Pacific and noted that Bangladesh has no enemy. Professor Kikuchi Tsutomu, Professor of International Political Economy, Aoyama Gakuin University, & Adjunct Senior fellow, Japan Institute of International Affairs (JIIA), said that Japan had been pursuing to implement its “Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) strategy for a rule-based international order.  Japan is pursuing three pillars to establish rule-based order in this region: strengthening the alliance with the US; moving Southward to construct networks with new alignments (bilateral, trilateral, quadrilateral, and regional) with the countries and institutions in the Indo-Pacific; and constructive engagement with China.  He also expressed that Bangladesh, which is located on the strategic trade route of the Indo-Pacific, is a very important country for the realization of Japan's Indo-Pacific vision. Professor Lailufer Yasmin noted that Japan is one of the countries to recognize Bangladesh soon after its independence. Bilateral relations between the two countries are marked by several high-level visits. Japan is one of the countries which extended cooperation to Bangladesh in its early days of Independence which helped the country to survive amidst different odds. She added that Bangladesh’s economy is growing successfully. The country is changing its status from being victim to geography to blessed by geography and becoming an emerging middle power Professor Akio highlighted that there are three pillars to uphold FOIP- commitment for peace and stability, promotion and establishment of the rule of law, freedom of navigation, free trade, and Pursuit of economic prosperity.  He also mentioned that JICA is cooperating in maritime safety and security through different training programs, grant aid, and ODA loans etc.  He also argued that FOIP is not for countering BRI, rather they can be compatible. FOIP and BRI can coexist in economic aspects rather than in strategic aspects. He expressed that Bangladesh could help implement projects in areas where FOIP and BRI can be connected. The moderator of the session Professor Rashed Uz Zaman said that there are geopolitical uncertainties in the Indo- Pacific that need to be addressed, and all the littorals should focus on the possibilities and opportunities of a connected Indo-Pacific region. Senior officials from different ministries of government, ambassadors and high commissioners, former diplomats, senior military officials, media, academia, researchers, teachers and students from different universities, representatives from different international organizations, participated in the Seminar and presented their valuable opinions in the open discussion session.

The Japanese economic zone in Narayanganj's Araihazar will go into production in 2023, Ito Naoki, the country's ambassador to Bangladesh, said Thursday. The envoy announced the plan while paying a courtesy call on FBCCI President Md Jashim Uddin in the afternoon. "The interest of Japanese companies is growing, especially around the Araihazar economic zone. There is an opportunity to further develop the economy of Bangladesh by taking advantage," he said, calling for making the investment climate friendlier. Also read: Special economic zones changing Bangladesh's industrial landscape: BEZA "Restriction on overseas remittance from branches, limitation in loans for working capital, restriction on royalty remittance, overdue payment, delay of letter of credit (LC), collection of additional income taxes and VAT, renewal of bond licence, the wage gap between inside and outside Export Processing Zone (EPZ), are creating barriers to investments," he said. Jasim Uddin assured the envoy that the FBCCI will work sincerely with the government to solve these problems. "More than a hundred Japanese companies have been doing business in Bangladesh for many years. Also, Japan is one of the major partners of Bangladesh in development projects," he added. "With the country's economic development, the lifestyle of Bangladesh's people has been upgraded. So, the size of the domestic market has also increased." Also read: Bangladesh a regional leader, economic force in S Asia: US "The popularity of Japanese products in this country is also relatively high. Japanese companies investing in Bangladesh are more likely to be profitable," the FBCCI president said.

The Appellate Division on Monday ordered that the two children of Bangladesh-born US citizen Imran Sharif and Japanese mother Nakano Erico will stay with their mother till February 6. A five-member full bench of the Appellate Division, headed by Justice Md Nuruzzaman passed the order following a petition. The two girls will remain at a hotel in Baridhara and their father, Imran Sharif, can visit his daughters between 9am and 9pm every day during this period. The court also fixed February 6 for the next hearing. Barrister Ajmalul Hossain and Advocate Ahsanul Karim stood for Erico while Advocate Fida M Kamal and Advocate Fouzia Karim for Imran. On January 3, the Appellate Division ruled that the two children of Imran and Erico will stay with their mother till January 23. READ: SC: 2 Japan-born girls to stay with Japanese mother for 2 days On November 21,2021  the HC bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice 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 bear her travel and accommodation expenses, said the court. If Erico wants to meet her children beyond the court-prescribed time she has to do it at her own expenses, the court said. Imran was also instructed to allow the children to talk to their mother on video calls twice a month on holidays. Following a writ petition, the High Court also ordered Imran to give Tk 10 lakh to Erico for the expenses she incurred to travel to Dhaka and stay here for seven days. The concerned social service officer was directed to continue monitoring the development regarding the children and submit a report to the Registrar of the High Court on the issue of children every three months. However, the high court rejected the writ petition filed by Imran seeking order to produce their third and youngest daughter, who is in Japan. On December 5, Erico filed a petition with the Appellate Division challenging the High Court order. After 12 years of marriage, on January 18, Erico, a physician, appealed for divorce from Engineer Imran Sharif over marital dispute. On January 28, 2021 she also filed a case with a Tokyo family court for custody of their three children. READ: HC allows two girls to stay with Bangladeshi father in custodial battle with Japanese mother But on February 21, Imran returned to Bangladesh with the first two girls from Japan. After that a Japanese court passed a verdict giving the children under their mother’s custody. On August 19, Erico filed a writ petition before the High Court here seeking custody of the two girls.

Korea and Japan will be the first two foreign teams to arrive in the capital on Wednesday to participate in the six-nation Hero Asian Champions Trophy (Hockey) ‘2021 beginning on January 14 at the Maulana Bhashani National Stadium here. Participating countries are: India, Malaysia, Korea, Japan, Pakistan and hosts Bangladesh Korean and Japanese teams will arrive in the capital at 21.05 hours on Wednesday by a flight of Singapore Air Lines. READ: Champions Hockey: 4 more players included in Bangladesh’s preliminary squad  India will be the 3rd foreign team to arrive here on Friday (Dec 10) at 12:30 hours by an Air India flight while the Pakistan team is scheduled to reach Dhaka at 16:40 hours on the same day (Friday). Malaysia will be the last foreign team to arrive here on Sunday (Dec 12) at 22:00 hours by Malindo Air flight. India will play Korea in the opening match at 3:30 pm on Jan 14. Bangladesh will play Malaysia at 6; pm while Pakistan will play Japan at 8:30 pm in other two opening day’s fixture. The titan battle between India and Pakistan will be held on Jan 17 at pm 3:30 pm. Earlier, Bangladesh Hockey Federation (BHF) announced a 28-member preliminary squad of Bangladesh national hockey team for the heavy weight tournament and later they added four more players in the squad as per requirement of the team’s Malaysia Head Coach Gobinathan Krishnamurty. The four newly recruited players are: Al Nahian Shuvo, Raju Ahmed Tapu, Abed Uddin and Razibul Hasan Rocky. READ: Premier Hockey: Mariner Youngs clinch title beating Mohammedan 3-2 The training session of Bangladesh team began on last Wednesday (Dec 1) at BKSP in Savar. 28-member Bangladesh squad: Biplob Kujur, Abu Sayed Nippon, Ashim Gop (goal keeper), Khorshedur Rahman, Farhad Ahmed, Ashraful Islam, Shohanaur Rahman Sabuj, Mehdi Hasam, Rezaul Karim Babu, Monoj Babu, Shafiul Alam Shisir, Sarwar Morshad Shawon and Khaled Mahmud Rakin (defender), Sarwar Hossain, Roman Sarkar, Nayeemuddin, Fazle Hossain Rabbi, Hasan Jubair Niloy, Prince Lal Samanta (mid-field), Rasel Mahmud Jummy, Milan Hossain, Mainul Islam Kaushik, Arshad Hossain, Mahbub Hossain, Deen Islam Emon, Rakibul Hasan, Pushkar Kisha Mimo and Rajub Das.

Ambassadors of Australia, Japan, European Union (EU) and the United States (US) have visited St Martin’s Island and witnessed the impact of climate change on the Island which is considered as a piece of heaven on earth. “The stark impact of climate change is a reality on St Martin’s Island, including coastal erosion, bleaching of corals and depletion of sea life,” Ambassador and Head of Delegation of the EU to Bangladesh Charles Whiteley tweeted on Monday afternoon. READ: Mohib's murder: US, UK envoys express deep shock

Dhaka, Oct 13 (UNB) – Japan never forces any of its friends in South Asia and beyond to make a choice between Japan and China but recognises that both are important relationships for any country including Bangladesh, says a Japanese Professor and international affairs expert based in Tokyo.

Dhaka, Oct 8 (UNB) - Bangladesh’s continuous efforts to improve infrastructural facilities and the ease of doing business will encourage Japanese companies to invest in Bangladesh in a bigger way, says a top Japanese business leader.