The High Court on Tuesday observed that the Canadian citizen who is in her parents’ custody for over 10 months in Dhaka cannot be kept confined against her will as she is an adult and wants to go back to Canada.
However, the Canadian government must ensure the safety and security of the 19-year old girl if she goes back to the country.
The High Court bench of Justice Farah Mahbub and Justice S M Maniruzzaman passed the observation while hearing a writ petition that was filed challenging the legality of detaining an adult Canadian citizen by parents in Dhaka.
Barrister Sara Hossain who appeared in the court on behalf of the Canadian citizen said, “The High Court wanted to know what kind of assistance would be provided by the Canadian government representatives for her safety after she leaves for Canada. We will try to know about this and then inform the court.”
Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST) and Ain O Salis Kendra (ASK), two rights organisations, filed the petition on April 5.
In the writ petition, the rights organisations said that the Canadian citizen is being held by her parents for over 10 months without lawful authority.
The HC bench verbally asked the girl’s father to produce her before the court for hearing her statement on Wednesday morning.
During the hearing on Tuesday, officials from Canadian High Commission in Dhaka, lawyers for the petitioners and the girl's parents were present in the courtroom.
Earlier on Sunday, the HC bench observed, “Parents need to build a friendly relationship with their children. They have to pay attention to the desires of their child. Parents should not impose any decision on children against their will.”
The court asked the girl's parents to return her mobile phone and laptop and give her access to the internet so that she can communicate with her friends.
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 at Mugda area in Dhaka as her parents do not want to send her abroad anymore.
Under the circumstances, 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.
