Judge Shamsul Arefin of the Fifth Special Tribunal for Prevention of Women and Children Repression, Dhaka handed down the verdict in absence of the convict, Reaz Uddin.

The punishment of the fugitive will be effective from the day of his arrest or surrender, the court order said.

The court acquitted Reaz's wife Parveen, another accused in the case as charges against her were not proved.

Reaz took out victim Mintu alias Rajib from his house at Shaildhar Char of Gafargaon upazila in Mymensingh on June 2, 2000 promising his mother Halima Begum to give her son a job at a shop in Dhaka with Tk 2,000 as monthly salary.

But Reaz sent Mintu to Dubai for being used as a camel jockey. He, however, used to send Tk 2,000 to Mintu's mother every month.

Mintu's mother came to know of the incident after about two years when Reaz told her that her son wound return home from Dubai.

After Mintu's return from Dubai, Halima filed an abduction case against Reaz and his wife Parveen with the Airport Police Station on June 4, 2002.