Two cousins were killed and another critically injured after a private car lost control and hit a divider near the Mohakhali flyover in Dhaka's Banani early today.
The victims are Nazmul Huda Rintu, 42, and Shawkat Hossain Kanan, 37, of Old Dhaka's Hazaribagh area, said police.
Hasnat, 36, another cousin, was injured in the accident and receiving treatment at a hospital with critical injuries.
All three of them run tannery businesses separately and were involved in other professions.
The car caught fire following the collision around 2:30am in Mohakhali. The accident took place when they were going towards Mohakhali from Banani.
According to family, the three went out for a drive on Friday night around 7:00pm.
Locals rushed Shawkat to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) where doctors declared him dead. Nazmul was taken to Kurmitola General Hospital but later died from his injuries.
Siddiq Hossain, sub-inspector of Banani Police Station and the investigating officer of the case, told The Daily Star, "The driver, Rintu, lost control of the vehicle and crashed into the divider. One victim died instantly at the spot while the other succumbed to injuries at the hospital."
"The injured cousin is currently in critical condition and police have not been able to speak with him yet. The car was seized and sent for forensics," Siddiq added.
Police said the divider near the Mohakhali flyover is poorly lit and without any paint, contributing to frequent accidents in the area.
Relatives rushed to the hospital after learning about the accident.
Shawkat's wife Moushumi Karim said their home is in Hazaribagh's Moneshwar first lane.
Shawkat was employed at an insurance company, also involved with the tannery business, she said.
Rintu, also from Hazaribagh's Moneshwar first lane, was living in Dhanmondi with his wife and children. The private car involved in the accident belonged to him.
Shawkat's elder brother Sazzad Hossain Tapan said, "We don't know the exact circumstances of the accident, but police told us the car hit the divider in the Banani area, causing the crash."
Both bodies were sent to the DMCH morgue for postmortem examination, said police.
