Court dismisses case against parents settlement
Staff Reporter :
A Dhaka court has dismissed a case filed by Mehrin Ahmed, a 19-year-old English medium student, against her parents seeking protection from alleged physical and mental abuse, after both parties agreed to settle the matter within the family.
On Thursday, Mehrin and her parents, Nasir Ahmed and Jannatul Ferdous, appeared before the court of Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate MA Azharul Islam for a scheduled hearing.
During the proceedings, Mehrin’s lawyer, Somaydad Shahriya Fida, and her parents’ lawyer, Abul Hossain, informed the court that both sides wished to resolve the dispute through family mediation.
After hearing the statements, the court dismissed the case and directed both parties to settle the matter amicably.
Confirming the development, Mehrin’s other lawyer, Isfakur Rahman Galib, said, “Both sides appealed for mediation and the court accepted it, dismissing the case accordingly.”
Speaking to reporters, Advocate Galib also pointed out that this case serves as a cautionary tale for society. “If parents do not spend enough time with their children or fail to provide proper social and religious guidance, a gap develops which sometimes ends up in court.
This incident is making many parents reconsider their approach to parenting. Enrolling a child in a good institution alone does not ensure proper upbringing – parents are a child’s first teachers and role models,” he added.
Earlier on 22 June, Mehrin filed the case with the same court accusing her parents of assault and abuse. During a hearing on 10 July, Mehrin had told the court: “I am not my parents’ puppet. Why should they insult me? Why do they physically and mentally abuse me? I want protection.”
According to the case statement, on the evening of 25 May, Mehrin alleged that her parents physically assaulted her at their Mohammadpur residence, verbally abused her using obscene language, and left her with visible injuries.
She claimed that as an adult, her parents continued to interfere in her personal freedom, insulted and humiliated her, and restricted her from using household essentials.
The complaint also accused her parents of denying her access to family resources and of repeatedly threatening, abusing, and assaulting her both physically and mentally.
With the court now dismissing the case, both Mehrin and her parents have been advised to resolve their differences through family counseling and discussion.