The High Court on Sunday handed over the custody of a Canadian girl, who had allegedly been confined by her parents against her will for around 10 months in Dhaka, to the Canadian High Commission.
The court asked Md Golam Rabbani, High Court Division Registrar of the Supreme Court, to hand over the 19-year old girl, a student of Toronto University, to the officials of the Canadian High Commission, after completing all the formalities.
The High Court bench of Justice Farah Mahbub and Justice S M Maniruzzaman delivered the verdict after hearing a writ petition that was filed challenging the legality of the detention of an adult Canadian female citizen by her parents in Dhaka.
In the order, the High Court asked the High Commission to take necessary steps to send her back to Canada, ensure her security and bear her living and study expenses. It also asked the High Commission to allow the parents of the girl to meet her if they want.
Meanwhile, High Court official Golam Rabbani has already handed over the girl to the High Commission of Canada after completing all formalities, said Barrister Sara Hossain who appeared in the court hearing for the girl.
The girl will stay in the custody of the Canadian High Commission in Dhaka until she flies to Canada upon completion of all relevant procedures, said Md Ozi Ullah, a lawyer for the girl's parents.
The girl and her father appeared before the High Court bench in line with its earlier directive during the hearing of the writ petition. Her father also gave consent to her for going back to Canada.
After hearing from all the parties, the High Court bench delivered the verdict on Sunday.
During the hearing on the petition, the High Court observed that a Canadian citizen cannot be kept confined against her will, as she is an adult and wants to go back to Canada. However, in that case, the Canadian government must ensure the safety and security of the 19-year old Canadian young lady if she goes back to the country.
In the meantime, the Canadian High Commission assured the High Court that the Canadian government will ensure her security and bear her living and study expenses if she go back to Canada.
Two rights organisations, Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST) and Ain O Salis Kendra (ASK) filed the petition on April 5 this year.
In the writ petition, the organisations said that the Canadian citizen has been held by her parents in their custody for over 10 months without lawful authority.
According to the petition, the Canadian citizen of Bangladeshi descent came to the country on May 28 in 2021 and since then she has been kept confined to date by her parents in a house located in the capital's Mugda area in Dhaka as her parents do not want to send her abroad anymore.
Under this circumstance, she sought help from the Canadian High Commission through email stating that she wants to go back to Canada. High Commission Officials on February 9 in 2022 filed a GD with the Mugda Police Station.
The High Commission finally communicated with the rights organizations and accordingly the rights organizations filed the writ petition with the High Court.