Bangladesh civic polls boycotted by BNP

Three city corporations in Bangladesh on Tuesday went to the polls that were marred by violations and boycotted by former prime minister Khaleda Zia's Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).

The election day passed off without a major incident although all the three BNP-backed mayoral candidates in Dhaka and the seaport city of Chittagong pulled out of the race alleging the polls were rigged and unfair, Xinhua reported.

A total of 48 aspirants ran for mayor of Dhaka South City Corporation, Dhaka North City Corporation and Chittagong City Corporation, while 249 contested 45 reserved seats and 891 contested for the 134 general councillor posts.

BNP leader Moudud Ahmed said they were boycotting the "farce election" to protest the massive rigging by the ruling Awami League party.

Mahbub-ul Alam Hanif, a leader of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's Awami League, dismissed the allegations.

Stray incidents of clashes, arson, vandalism, chase and counter-chase as well as detention were reported in Dhaka and Chittagong.

According to the country's electoral rules, such city corporation and municipal elections are to be held in a non-partisan manner, but political parties indirectly nominate candidates to test their popularity in such local level elections, Xinhua said.