Bangladeshi-born US citizen Imran Sharif married Japanese Citizen Eriko Nakano in 2008 in Japan. The couple later became parents of three children. After that Eriko Nakano filed a divorce petition against Imran Sharif in the year 2020 with the Japanese Court. On 28 January 2021, Eriko also filed a case for the custody of their three children with the Japanese court, however on 21 February 2021, Imran Sharif returned to Bangladesh from Japan with their two daughters. Following that a Japanese Court passed an order giving the custody of their three children to the mother.
Subsequently, Eriko too came to Bangladesh and filed a custody petition with the HCD which initially gave custody rights to the father. However, on 13 February 2022, the HCD stated, until the case is being disposed by the Dhaka Family Court, the two children will remain in their mother’s custody and the father should be given visitation rights. Later, on 23 December 2022, the mother tried to leave Bangladesh with their two daughters but she was turned down by the police from the airport.
On 29 January 2023, Imran Sharif filed a petition against Eriko over the custody of the two children which was dismissed by the family court. On 16 July 2023, Dhaka District Judge’s Court ruled that the two daughters who are residing in Bangladesh would stay with the mother. Later Imran Sharif filed a revision petition against the verdict in the HCD.
In regards to the revision petition filed by Imran Sharif against the ruling of the Dhaka District Judge’s Court, on 13 February 2024, High Court has given the custody of the eldest and the youngest daughters to the mother, Eriko Nakano and the couple’s second daughter however will stay with the father, Imran Sharif.