Voting in the Gazipur City Corporation election concluded on Tuesday amid the allegations of some irregularities in some areas.
The voters of the city started balloting at 8:00 am and continued until 4:00 pm without any break at 425 polling stations. Now vote counting is underway.
Electronic voting machines (EVMs) are being used in six centres while closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras have been installed in two.
Seven mayoral candidates - AL’s Jahangir Alam, BNP’s Hasan Uddin Sarker, CPB’s Kazi Mohammad Ruhul Amin, Islami Oikya Jote’s Fazlur Rahman, Islami Andolan Bangladesh’s M Nasir Uddin, Bangladesh Islami Front M Jalal Uddin and independent runner Farid Ahmed - are there in the race.
Besides, some 254 general councillor and 84 reserved-seat female councillor candidates are participating in the elections.
Of those, a councillor has already been elected unopposed.
A total of 1,137,736 voters - 569,935 males and 567,801 females - are expected to exercise their franchise in the election.
According to bdnews24.com, BNP-nominated mayoral candidate Hasan Uddin Sarker has urged the Election Commission to cancel Gazipur city polls, alleging widespread rigging and other irregularities.
“BNP polling agents were pushed out of more than hundreds of centres. Many people were roughed up by the ruling party. Ruling party supporters stuffed ballot boxes with fake votes,” he said at an instant news briefing.
His demand came five hours after the voting started 8am at 425 polling stations in Gazipur on Tuesday.
However, Awami League candidate Jahangir Alam denied the allegations saying "these are baseless."
Several televisions said voting was suspended at seven centres following reports of irregularities.