The convict, Mohammad Ripon, 20, has also been fined Tk 50,000.

He can appeal to the High Court against the verdict within seven days.

The Speedy Trial Tribunal-1 in Dhaka delivered the 22-page judgment at 12:40pm in a crowded courtroom amidst beefed up security. The trial ended in 42 working days.

Ripon, who was in the dock, looked composed as Judge Shahed Noor Uddin handed down the death penalty.

The tribunal said Ripon killed in cold blood his brother-in-law Rubel alias Don aged five years and four months and tried to conceal evidences of the killing. His guilt was proved beyond doubt.

The judgement noted that the society and the court no longer wanted to see the tears and hear moans of parents of any other boy like Don. So, the court found it logical to give capital punishment to Ripon.

Ripon killed Don over dowry-related dispute. The trend of killing children by their close relatives is rising alarmingly, creating panic in the society. This trend should be checked forthwith, it added.

The court said it has been proved that Ripon strangled Don sometime between 4:00pm of August 19 and 9:00am of August 20 last year and dumped his body in a drain at Khalpar near Mirhajirbagh to hide the evidences.

The tribunal gave the verdict after examining 17 of the 19 prosecution witnesses and other records.

On August 20 last year, Don's father Shafiqul Islam filed a case with the Demra Police Station accusing Ripon, his father Ismail Hossain and mother Gulnahar. They were arrested the same day.

When Don and other members of the family went to Ripon's house at 17, KM Das Lane on August 19 last year, he took Don out at about 4:00pm on some plea, the complaint said.

Ripon returned at around 9:00pm and said he had dropped Don near their residence at Dhalpur. The next day, police recovered the child's body from a drain at Mirhajirbagh in the Demra Police Station.

After investigation, police submitted charge sheet showing Ripon as the lone accused. He confessed to a magistrate that he killed Don after failing to realise dowry from his father-in-law.

Special Public Prosecutor Abdul Latif Talukder moved for the state while Advocate Ayat Ali Patwari for the accused.

The defence lawyer said they would appeal to the High Court against the verdict.