Terming it as an "updated version" of vote rigging, BNP decides to express their dissatisfaction of the municipality polls.

Police played the role of silent spectators at many voting centres when supporters of Awami League mayor candidates prevented voters from entering polling centres, snatched ballot papers and stuffed those in ballot boxes.

Thirty-six municipal mayor candidates of different political parties, including one from the ruling Awami League, pulled out of the electoral race yesterday alleging vote rigging by AL men and use of influence by local administrations.

The BNP has rejected the results of yesterday's municipal polls, alleging widespread vote-rigging, ballot-stuffing and capture of more than a thousand polling stations by the ruling party men.

Ballot-stuffing in at least 30 centres began soon after voting began in the morning and continued till it ended in the afternoon in yesterday's municipal polls.

Mayoral candidates of the ruling Awami League clinched a landslide victory in yesterday's election to 234 municipalities amid allegations of widespread electoral irregularities. AL candidates secured 179 mayoral posts while their rivals from the BNP got 21. And AL rebels obtained 19 posts. Ruling party men resorted to electoral irregularities in at least 80 municipalities with the local administration looking on. They stuffed ballot boxes and drove BNP candidates' agents out of polling centres, according to reports from The Daily Star correspondents.

Jatiya Party, a key ally of the Awami League-led grand alliance government alleges that today’s municipality elections were not fair by any chance.

The ruling Awami League is maintaining a big lead over its archrival BNP as vote counting continues in the municipality elections marked by gross irregularities and widespread violence.

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmed claims that the municipality elections were held in a peaceful manner except some stray incidents here and there.

BNP say their apprehension of a ‘farcical election’ became true as today’s municipality polls have been marked by “gross irregularities”.

The Election Commission cancels the municipality election of Narsingdi’s Madhabdi in view of irregularities, an official of the commission says.

AL Joint Secretary General Mahbubul Alam Hanif urges all the candidates to accept the polls results whatever it might be.

Follow The Daily Star for latest updates of the Municipal Elections 2015. The Municipal elections are held every five years in the country and this year marks the first ever Municipal Partisan polls.

Prime minister’s political adviser HT Imam accuses BNP of creating “terror” at different polling centres to make the municipality elections controversial.

A man is killed when supporters of two councillor candidates traded gunshots in Satkania upazila of Chittagong, police say.

Clashes, ballot occupation and allegations of forced balloting mark the start of country’s maiden municipality polls under political banners.

Elections to 234 municipalities have begun, marking the start of the country's maiden local government polls on partisan lines.

Awami League Joint General Secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif asks his party men to assist the Election Commission (EC) and local administrations to hold a free, fair and neutral municipality election.

BNP alleges that the ruling Awami League has made a “blueprint” to take its favour the results of tomorrow’s elections to 234 municipalities.

Ruling Awami League Joint General Secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif says BNP took additional benefits in conducting campaigns for municipality polls.