"I believe in democracy," he told reporters. "My party is a democratic party. Even if I lose the election, I will accept the result"

The Election Commission today said polls to five city corporations -- Barishal, Gazipur, Khulna, Rajshahi, and Sylhet -- would be held between May 23 to June 29.

The election result that put the BNP mayoral hopeful ahead of the Awami League contestant in the Sylhet city polls came as a "surprise" to the party high-ups as they had feared the ruling party would take away all the three mayoral posts through irregularities.

BNP asks its key political ally Jamaat-e-Islami to withdraw its candidate from Sylhet City Corporation (SCC) elections scheduled to be held on July 30.

BNP mayoral candidate Ariful Haque Chowdhury is set to face a tough challenge in the upcoming Sylhet City Corporation polls as he will be fighting the election also against his party rebel as well as another contender from the BNP's key ally Jamaat-e-Islami.