A speeding bus has veered off a major expressway in central Bangladesh, plunging into a ditch, killing at least 19 people and injuring dozens.

The death toll could rise further as some of the injured passengers are in critical condition, Shibchar police official Anowar Hossain said.

The crash occurred in the city of Shibchar, 80 kilometres from the capital Dhaka.

The bus, carrying more than 40 passengers, fell about nine metres into a roadside ditch after breaking through the railing of the newly built Padma River bridge expressway, Officer Hossain said.

The driver, who was killed, appeared to have lost control of the vehicle after the tyre of the bus burst, he said, adding that the cause of the accident was under investigation.

Road accidents are common in Bangladesh, often blamed on reckless driving, old vehicles and poor safety rules, and kill thousands each year.

In 2018, a series of massive student protests, sparked by the death of two teenagers, forced Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government to approve raising the maximum prison time from three to five years for causing death by rash driving.

-Reuters