The deceased were identified as Ismail Hossain, 35, son of Ali Mia, and Abul Kalam Mollah, 26, son of Muslim Mollah.

In-charge of Bhaberchar Highway police outpost, Md Salah Uddin said the accident occurred when the three were waiting for a bus at the terminal.

Also read:Couple killed in Dhaka road crash 

"The driver lost control over the vehicle and rammed the trio. While two died on the spot, the injured has been admitted to a nearby hospital," the officer said.

Police have seized the bus, but its driver is absconding. "Efforts are on to nab him," he said.

Road accidents in Bangladesh

Road accidents continue to rise in Bangladesh, with the country seeing 439 deaths in 417 accidents last month, according to Road Safety Foundation (RSF), an organisation working to ensure safer roads.

Also read:Three killed in Faridpur road crash

Nirapad Sarak Chai, a road safety advocacy group, in a report said that 5,227 people were killed in 4,702 road accidents in Bangladesh last year.

In a report released in February this year, the World Bank said Bangladesh needs to invest an estimated extra $7.8 billion over the next decade to halve its road crash fatalities.

The report pointed to the high death rate on Bangladesh’s roads caused by chronic lack of investment in systemic, targeted, and sustained road safety programmes.

Also read:5 killed in Kushtia road crash

The report said annual road crash deaths per capita in Bangladesh are twice the average rate for high-income countries and five times that of the best performing countries in the world. It highlights that children and working age population are most affected by road crash injuries in Bangladesh.

Written by ST, Edited by JM