Five people including two of the same family have been killed by lightning during a heavy storm in Bangladesh's northern Kurigram district, some 348 km away of capital Dhaka, local police say.

"All the five victims, aged between 5 and 40, were struck on Monday morning during a sudden rainstorm," Officer-in-Charge of Nageswari Police Station in Kurigram, Manzur Rahman, told Xinhua over phone.

He said the victims including a mother and her son were hit by lightning as they sought shelter at a hut near their farming field.

At least 17 people were killed and scores injured earlier this month in different parts of Bangladesh by lightning as a series of minor tropical storms and heavy rains swept across the country.