This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/uk/7782182.stm
The article has changed 15 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 10 | Version 11 |
|---|---|
| Missing GP to return to the UK | Missing GP to return to the UK |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| A missing NHS doctor freed following claims she was being held captive in Bangladesh by her parents is due to fly into the UK later. | |
| Lawyers for trainee GP Humayra Abedin, 33, from east London, said her family planned to force her into marriage. | Lawyers for trainee GP Humayra Abedin, 33, from east London, said her family planned to force her into marriage. |
| She had travelled to Dhaka in August after hearing her mother was very ill. | She had travelled to Dhaka in August after hearing her mother was very ill. |
| London's High Court had ordered her return to the UK under the new Forced Marriage Act and the High Court in Dhaka has now ruled she must be freed. | London's High Court had ordered her return to the UK under the new Forced Marriage Act and the High Court in Dhaka has now ruled she must be freed. |
| Lawyer Sara Hossain, representing Dr Abedin in Bangladesh, said her client was "very relieved" by the decision and had "clearly stated" she wanted to return to the UK immediately. | Lawyer Sara Hossain, representing Dr Abedin in Bangladesh, said her client was "very relieved" by the decision and had "clearly stated" she wanted to return to the UK immediately. |
| Dr Abedin's parents had been ordered to appear at Dhaka's High Court with their daughter on Sunday. | Dr Abedin's parents had been ordered to appear at Dhaka's High Court with their daughter on Sunday. |
| She was later released into the custody of the court and handed over to the British High Commission. She is expected to return to Heathrow from Dhaka on Monday. | She was later released into the custody of the court and handed over to the British High Commission. She is expected to return to Heathrow from Dhaka on Monday. |
| Judge Syed Mahmud Hossain said her parents' actions were "not acceptable". | Judge Syed Mahmud Hossain said her parents' actions were "not acceptable". |
| Dr Abedin's father collapsed from shock after the court's ruling. | Dr Abedin's father collapsed from shock after the court's ruling. |
| 'Hope' for women | 'Hope' for women |
| The BBC's Mark Dummett in Dhaka said Dr Abedin had been held captive first at her family's home and then at a psychiatric hospital following claims she was not able to make decisions for herself. | The BBC's Mark Dummett in Dhaka said Dr Abedin had been held captive first at her family's home and then at a psychiatric hospital following claims she was not able to make decisions for herself. |
| What the ruling makes clear is that there is a right of redress Anne-Marie HutchinsonLawyer | What the ruling makes clear is that there is a right of redress Anne-Marie HutchinsonLawyer |
| But she had managed to get messages to her friends in the UK about her plight who then notified the British authorities, he said. | But she had managed to get messages to her friends in the UK about her plight who then notified the British authorities, he said. |
| She has chosen not to press charges against her parents. | |
| Dr Abedin's UK lawyer, Anne-Marie Hutchinson, said there were currently up to 350 similar cases involving British women and she hoped the latest case would give them hope. | Dr Abedin's UK lawyer, Anne-Marie Hutchinson, said there were currently up to 350 similar cases involving British women and she hoped the latest case would give them hope. |
| "What the ruling makes clear is that there is a right of redress," she said. | "What the ruling makes clear is that there is a right of redress," she said. |
| "I would hope that many other young victims, or potential victims, would feel confident enough now to come forward and feel confident in the fact that courts will act and authorities overseas will act on their human rights and implement them." | "I would hope that many other young victims, or potential victims, would feel confident enough now to come forward and feel confident in the fact that courts will act and authorities overseas will act on their human rights and implement them." |
| She added that, although forced marriage was already illegal in Bangladesh, it was significant that the judge had gone public with his ruling in demonstrating that such things were unacceptable. | She added that, although forced marriage was already illegal in Bangladesh, it was significant that the judge had gone public with his ruling in demonstrating that such things were unacceptable. |
| An unnamed British victim of a forced marriage, who is now separated from her husband, told the BBC's Today programme the ruling was the "best news" for those facing similar situations. | An unnamed British victim of a forced marriage, who is now separated from her husband, told the BBC's Today programme the ruling was the "best news" for those facing similar situations. |
| "I think it will give a lot of hope to young girls out there," she said. | "I think it will give a lot of hope to young girls out there," she said. |
| Court action | Court action |
| Dr Abedin arrived in Britain in September 2002, when she studied for a Masters degree in public health at Leeds University. | Dr Abedin arrived in Britain in September 2002, when she studied for a Masters degree in public health at Leeds University. |
| She had been due to start work in August as a registrar at a GP surgery in east London but travelled to Dhaka after being told that her mother was ill. | She had been due to start work in August as a registrar at a GP surgery in east London but travelled to Dhaka after being told that her mother was ill. |
| The British High Court had served her family with an injunction under the Forced Marriage Act ordering them to free their daughter and allow her to return to the UK. | The British High Court had served her family with an injunction under the Forced Marriage Act ordering them to free their daughter and allow her to return to the UK. |
| However, this was not enforceable overseas because Dr Abedin is not a British national. | However, this was not enforceable overseas because Dr Abedin is not a British national. |
| A Foreign Office spokeswoman said the order was issued in the hope that it might "carry some weight" within the Bangladeshi court system. | A Foreign Office spokeswoman said the order was issued in the hope that it might "carry some weight" within the Bangladeshi court system. |